3986 The Zoologist— May, 1874. 



lying under the shadow of Mount Cook. Specimens are occa- 

 sionally met with that are here and there marked with white, as 

 on the anterior neck, thigh, &c. Mr. Docherty, the kiwi hunter, 

 informed the writer that up to the close of last year (1871) he had 

 killed about 2200 specimens of the kiwi and rowi [Apteryx Oweni 

 and J. australis). 



Brown Kiwi (Apteryx Mantelli, Barll.)— The brown kiwi, or 

 the North Island kiwi (known as the *'kiwi-nui" of the natives), is 

 now a rare bird, seldom to be found even in places where some 

 {qw years since it was not uncommon. Ornithologists have mani- 

 fested a disposition to drop this species and refer it to Apteryx 

 australis, on what appears to be insufficient grounds. The writer 

 has had opportunities at divers times of becoming acquainted 

 with living examples both of A. Mantelli and A. australis; he has 

 examined several skins of the North Island species, whilst hundreds 

 of skins of the southern bird have passed under his observation ; 

 the result is that he arrives at conclusions which are opposed to 

 Dr. Finsch's and also Mr. BuUer's views on this question. Mr. 

 Buller writes thus: — "Mr. Bartlett draws the following distinction 

 as to the colouring of the two supposed species — ' Ap. australis : 

 colour pale grayish brown, darkest on the back. Ap. Mantelli: 

 colour dark rufous-brown, darkest on the back.' The above de- 

 scriptions are applicable, the former to the female and the latter to 

 the male of the common species." In this paragraph Mr. Buller, in 

 a summary way, disposes of Mr. Bartlett's (to our thinking) correct 

 view of the distinction in the colour of the two species, and falls 

 into a grave error by attributing sexual difference of colouration. 

 It may not be impertinent to ask whence have specimens been 

 obtained, or in what collection can authentic examples be seen 

 that display a sexual distinction of colour hitherto unknown to the 

 troglodytal Apterygidaj? That which Mr. Buller terms Mr. Bart- 

 lett's strongest point, namely, the distinction to be drawn from the 

 scutellalion or reticulation of the tarsus, is left for elucidation in 

 Mr. Buller's work on our birds now in progress. We have no 

 hesitation in maintaining that the plumage alone presents suffi- 

 ciently marked characteristics for the retention of the two species. 

 In the 'Catalogue of the Birds of New Zealand,' Captain Button, 

 in some half-a-dozen words, points out the distinction, which 

 cannot be gainsaid, " A. australis : feathers soft to the touch. 

 A. Mantelli: feathers harsh to the touch." The nut is cracked at 



