18G8.] MR. BARTLETT ON THE INCUBATION OF THE APTERYX. 329 



Iccted by Mr. Nathaniel H. Bishop at Remedios, in Cuba, in October 

 1863 ; the other by Mr. Charles Wright at Monte Verde, in the same 

 island, in August 1861. There is likewise a single example of this 

 bird in the Paris Museum. 



2. On the Incubation of the Apteryx. 

 By A. D. Bartlett, Superintendent of the Society's Gardens. 



In the second volume of Mr. Gould's book upon the Birds of 

 Australia, at page 570, will be found several statements made with re- 

 ference to the mode of reproduction of the Apteryx. As these strange 

 stories are most of them derived from the natives of New Zealand, 

 and do not appear to have been verified by any one upon whom we 

 can place much reliance, it may be as well to record a few facts that 

 have occurred under my own observation in the Society's Gardens. 



In 1851 Lieut.-Governor Eyre presented to the Society an Apteryx. 

 This bird proved to be a female of Apteryx manteUi. In the 

 year 1859 she laid her first egg, and has continued to lay one or two 

 eggs every year since that time. In 1865 a male bird was presented 

 by Henry Slade, Esq. During the last year these birds showed 

 symptoms of a desire to pair. This was known by the loud calling 

 of the male, which was answered by the female in a much lower and 

 shorter note. They were particularly noisy during the night, but alto- 

 gether silent in the daytime. On the 2nd of January the first egg 

 was laid, and far a day or more the female remained on the egg ; but 

 as soon as she quitted the nest the male bird took to it, and remained 

 constantly sitting. On the 7th of February the second egg was laid, 

 the female leaving the nest as soon as the egg was deposited. The 

 two birds now occupied the two opposite corners of the room in 

 which they were kept, the male on the two eggs in the nest under 

 the straw, the female concealed in her corner, also under a bundle 

 of straw placed against the wall. During the time of incubation 

 they ceased to call at night, in fact were perfectly silent, and kejjt 

 apart. I found the eggs in a hollow formed on the ground in 

 the earth and straw, and placed lengthwise side by si"de. The male 

 bird lay across them, his narrow body appearing not sufficiently 

 broad to cover them in any other way ; the ends of the eggs could 

 be seen projecting from the side of the bird. The male continued 

 to sit in the most persevering manner until the 25th of April, at 

 which time he was much exhausted, and left the nest. On exa- 

 mining the eggs I found no traces of young birds. 



Notwithstanding the failure of reproducing the Apteryx, I think 

 sufficient has been witnessed to show that this bird's mode of repro- 

 duction does not differ essentially from that of the allied Struthious 

 birds, in all cases of which that have come under my observation the 

 male bird only sits. I have witnessed the breeding of the Mooruk, 

 the Cassowary, the Emu, and the Rhea; and the mode of proceeding 

 of the Apteryx fully justifies me in believing the habits of this bird 

 to be in no way materially different from those of its allies. 



