////: i ///./,) -\ MI 



<>IT tin- phi. > : "i. if tli>- dinm-i i.iMe was left for a moment, they would mount \i\,n it an 1 



rl.-ui :il! I- -f. -I- I !; in 



" At other tillles the\ -I.HH| ;,t I lie table, Waiting fnf f'MHl III I* -i\.'ll |i. till-Ill. although 



tli.-\ <li<l nut hesitate to ivino\e :in\ tiling within their n-ach. I have often seen them stand :it 

 tin- window nf mil -ilininir room, with keen >. watchini; fni aii\ morsel <,f food that might IM- 

 thrown to tin-in. Thedav pn-vious to the departure of tin- pair for their new home, tin- male 

 I'inl ualkul inl" tin- ilinin_- n~.ni. :m<l ii-in:iiinil b\ m\ side during tin- l->-..-rt. I regaled liini 

 with ]>iin-:i|>|>li> and other fruits, mid he beha\e.| \.-n d.vomuslv ami with great forbearance. 

 ll:i\in- had these birds for a considerable time in my ]M>sses>ioii, I hud ample o]i|x>rtiinity of 

 h'-aiin- all th-- notes Uttered l-> llf in I llcvcl li.-ard them utter a sound like MiM.ruk.' I 

 am inclined to rounder tin- naim- signifies, in tin- natixi- lan^ua^i-, 'swift' resembling closely 

 tin- Mala\ I.TIII ' a nim-U.' Of ma. I an-.-i " 



III tin- 8sim work is miich IIH.IV mi-inns an. I valnal.lf infi.rinatinn ivsjMTtinK this bird, and 



ti. its ].a_-i-s t!i.- ivaili-i i- ivfi-rr.il foi fiirtliM inf.. i -'iiati-'ii .. >n.-. niin_- lln- an.| many >th'-r 

 ,f naluial lii-l..| \ 



The Mooruk is not di-vnid nf ntT<-nsi\i> wcjiixms, for it can kick very sharply, delivering 

 tin- stmki- fnrwanl liki- tin- n-ui.-li, and dTivin^ much aid from th<> long-pointed claw which 

 has ali.'a.l\ I . n mentioned EttBttftudl '>' nnn-li i ....... \aiic. n^. ali.l its f, ,rm m..|.- ll.-xil.li-. 



than would In- siii)jKs.il l>\ ]~-:-smis whn have not m-n tin- linl in a living state. Soim-timcs 

 il s, 1 1 ia Is . l..',s n " nli ilr i' - - iMBl Mii.l- i i:. -Mi.l n sjix n|.| j_.|,i lik, ; a .!>._' that has U-.-n taiiu'hl 

 to "beg;" Bomedmes it lii-s nn its sid... stretching the legs straight Ix-hindit; some times it 

 flattens itaelf ug-.iinst tin- ground, its legs tucked under it.s txxly, and it head and in-rk 

 .stn-t<-h*-<l at full Im^th <>n the ground. This latter ]K>siti<>n is a favorite one. Like the emeu. 

 it i> often taken with an ebullition ( .f joyousn.-x.s, and then dashes aliout its inclosure a if half 

 mad. jumps against a tree (>r jxist, trying to kick it at a great height from the ground, and 

 tumlilini; Hat on its Lark when it misses its nim. Then it will suddenly cease ite vagaries, 

 and alk about very composedly, but jantini, r for breath with OJH-II l>ill. 



This binl may be distinguished fn>m the cas.so\\ai \ by t h four (instead of five) spines of 

 the wings, and the sliai>e of the helmet. 



PERHAPS the very strinp-st and most weird-like of all living birds is the APTEKVX, or 

 Kiwi Kiwi. 



This singular binl is a native of New Zealand, when; it was once very common, but, like 

 the dinornis, bin a fair way of becoming ex tim-t. a fate from which it has probably been hitherto 

 preserved by ite nocturnal and retiring habits. 



Not many years ago the Apteryx was thought to l>e a fabulous bird, its veritable existence 

 being denied by scientific men as energetically as that of the giraffe in yet older days, or the 

 duck-bill in more modern times. A skin brought from New Zealand was given to a taxidi-r 

 mist to "set up," and the man. taking it for one of the penguias on account of ite very short 

 wings and the total absence of a tail, stuffed it in a sitting jiosture, such as is assumed by the 

 penguin tril>e. and arranged the head and neck after the same model. 



In this binl then- is scarcely the slightest trace of wings, a peculiarity which has gained 

 for it the title of Apteryx, or wingless. The plumage is romiM.sed of rather curiously sha|*il 

 flat feathers, each being wide ami furnish.-.! with a soft, shining, silken down for the basal 

 thinl of it.s length, and then nan-owing rapidly towards the extremity, which is a single shaft 

 with haii like webs at eai h side. The quill ] >ort ion of the feathers is remarkably small and 

 short, N-in^ .-\. -n overlap] MM! by the down when the feather is removed from the binl. 



The skin is very tough and y.-t tl.-xible. and the chiefs set. great value upon it for the 

 manufactun* of their state mantles. |H-nnitting no inferior person to wear them, and being 

 extremely unwilling to part with them I-M-H for a valuable consideration. The bird lives 

 mostly among the fern ; and as it always remains concealed during the day in deep recesses of 

 nx-ks. gnmnd, or tn-e-nots, and is remarkably fleet of fiKt. diving among the heavy fern-leaves 

 with singular adroitness, it j^ not very easy of capture. It feeds ui"m insects of various kinds, 



