1862.] MR. A. D. BARTLETT ON THE KAGU. 219 
it. During his frolic he will thrust his bill into the ground and 
spread out his wings, kick his legs in the air, and then tumble about 
as if ina fit. At other times he appears intent upon catching worms: 
he steps slowly, his neck close to his body, his crest flat on his back, 
all his feathers smooth and close ; he raises one foot, and with two or 
three gentle strokes he paws the ground, swiftly he darts his bill into 
the earth and draws forth a worm, a sudden shake and it is swallowed; 
again he runs ; stopping suddenly, he makes another dart ; and thus 
he continues to capture this kind of food. With respect to feeding, 
this bird differs much from the Heron family, seeking out, in every 
hole and corner, worms, snails, and other living things, whenever 
they are not in motion: as soon as a snail is found, he breaks its 
shell by repeated knocks upon the ground, and after shaking the 
fragments of the broken shell off, the animal is swallowed. In no 
instance, however, that I have observed, does this bird eat bread, 
seed, or any kind of vegetable, but he strictly confines himself to in- 
sects and other animal substances. 
The skeleton and internal anatomy of the Kagu being entirely un- 
known to me, I can only form an opinion of the affinities of this 
bird by its external characters, habits, &c.; and I find that the re- 
markable powder-down tufts, which are well developed in all the Ar- 
deines, are carried to a greater extent in this bird; for above and 
around the wings, on the breast beneath the wings, and on the back 
and belly, this structure exists, and the enormous quantity of the white 
powder given off is surprising. I have seen the bird enter the small 
pond and attempt to wash; and upon dipping partly under water, 
the whole surface of the water was covered with a white film, like 
French chalk. The strong resemblance between this bird and Eury- 
pyg4, even in the markings upon the wing- and tail-feathers, the mode 
of spreading out the wings, and other resemblances, convince me 
that I am right in considering the Kagu to be more closely allied to 
Eurypyga than to any other bird that has come within my notice. 
Dr. E. Crisp exhibited the enlarged tail-glands of two domestic 
hens that had been kept in a confined situation in London. The en- 
largement appeared to arise from closure and obstruction of the ducts 
and the increase of the oily secretion. These glands in each of the 
hens weighed about 350 grains, their normal weight being about 10 
or 12 grains. 
