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 in a 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, 1 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- 

 pyga, 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. 



