OWL-PARROT. J37 



A specimen in the London Zoological Gardens remained quiet and drowsy during 

 the daytime, and only became lively and inclined to feed towards evening. It 

 never attempted to perch, always remaining on the floor of its cage. Its cry was 

 a sharp monotonous whistle ; and its food consisted of corn and young shoots of 

 grass. The flesh of both species of ground-parraquets is said to be delicate and well 

 flavoured. 



The Owl-Parrot. 



Family Stringopid^. 



From the practical absence in those islands of indigenous mammalian life, 

 . many of the birds of New Zealand have more or less" completely lost the power of 



f flight, owing to the disuse of their wings ; and among these flightless species is a 



very remarkable member of the present order — the owl-parrot, or kakapo (Stringops 

 hahroptilus), which is not only the representative of a distinct genus but likewise 

 of a separate family. This bird is distinguished from the other members of the 

 order by the rudimentary condition of the keel of the breast-bone or sternum ; and 

 likew^ise by the radiating disc of feathers around the eye, which communicates 

 the characteristic owl-like appearance to the head. The beak is thick and swollen 

 on the sides, with no notch ; and the nostrils open in a much inflated cere. The 

 wings are short and rounded, with the fourth, fifth, and sometimes the sixth 

 primaries the longest ; and the tail is also comparatively short, with its extremity 

 rounded, but the individual feathers pointed. The metatarsus is somewhat 

 elongated, the nails moderately long, and the whole plumage rather soft. 



The ground-parrot is a somewhat large bird, attaining a total length of 

 about 24 inches, 9 of which are occupied by the tail. The general colour of 

 the plumage of the upper-parts is sap-green, each feather having a median 

 yellow line margined with black, from which spring irregular black rays. The 

 feathers of the front and sides of the head are, however, pale umber-coloured, 

 with median lines of yellowish white ; and those of the wings and tail are mainly 

 brownish bufl* variously mottled with black and lemon-yellow. Beneath, the 

 prevailing tint is greenish yellow, tinged with lemon-yellow, and with somewhat 

 similar dark markings. 



Although formerly distributed over the whole of New Zealand, the kakapo 

 is now confined to the North Island and the northern half of the South Island ; 

 its semi- fossilised remains being found in association with those of the extinct moas. 

 From many parts of the country it has been recently exterminated, and is rare in 

 most regions, and mainly restricted to mountainous regions, and it is probably 

 doomed to extinction at no very distant date. Many accounts of the habits of this 

 interesting bird have been given, from among which we select the following from 

 the pen of Sir George Grey. This observer writes that during the day the 

 kakapo "remains hid in holes under the roots of trees or rocks, or very 

 rarely perched on the boughs of trees with a very dense thick foliage. 

 At these times it appears stupid from its profound sleep, and if disturbed 

 or taken from its hole, immediately runs and tries to hide itself again, 

 delighting, if practicable, to cover itself in a heap of soft dry grass ; about 



