230 THE KIWI-KIWI ; [PART n 



One of the European colonists here, who had 

 lately come from Adelaide in South Australia, pre- 

 sented me with a specimen of that very curious bird 

 the kiwi, or Apterix australis : it had been killed by 

 a dog, and was consequently much injured. This 

 was the only specimen I obtained during a stay of 

 eighteen months in New Zealand, although I offered 

 a liberal reward to any native who would bring me 

 one. In most places the natives told me at once 

 that none were now to be found, that the dogs and 

 cats had destroyed them all. In the hilly and gloomy 

 forests between Mango-nui and Hokianga they were 

 said still to exist, and also in a swampy mountainous 

 tract in the neighbourhood of Waimate; but the 

 indolence of the natives in those districts frustrated 

 all my efforts. Other places as the Little Barrier 

 Island in the gulf of Hauraki, some districts near 

 the East Cape and the western coast of the Middle 

 Island, where they are said to be still common I 

 had no opportunity of visiting. A bird of such 

 anomalous structure as the kiwi, differing, as it does, 

 from all other birds, although most nearly related 

 to the Struthious order, and having habits peculiar 

 to itself, had attracted my most eager attention. 

 That the period is near at hand when this bird 

 will be extinct is quite evident, and is a point of the 

 deepest interest to the natural philosopher, on ac- 

 count of the conclusions to be drawn from such a 

 fact, as regards certain events in the history of 

 the animal creation, and the agencies employed to 



