192 Transactions.— Zoology. 
maintained, in order to distribute over the entire surface of the egg a fair 
and equal amount of heat. The sitting pose assumed by various species of 
birds is in itself a study not devoid of interest either to the naturalist or the 
physiologist. 
It is probable that, as in the case of struthious birds, the gizzard stones are 
disgorged, but we have no evidence thereof ; it would be most interesting to 
ascertain if such regurgitation takes place, also if any correlation could be 
traced to seasonal or sexual conditions. The fecund kiwi within a brief 
period has to furnish a large supply of calcareous material for the formation of 
the egg shell ; amongst gallinaceous birds in some cases the requisite supply 
of lime may be as considerable in proportion to the size of the bird, but 
longer time is given for its elimination and deposition ; Gallus, Perdix, or 
Coturnix may be cited as examples, the prolificacy of these genera being 
evidenced by the production of from twelve to fifteen eggs, but the formation 
of these spreads over many days. The inquiries which suggest themselves are 
as follows :—To what extent (if any) do the gizzard stones affect the supply of 
necessary calcareous material for the wants of the female? Are the fragments 
of stone in the gizzard of the female greater previously to the breeding season 
than at other periods of the year? It must not be forgotten that the 
difficulty of obtaining the lime supply can only be fairly estimated by personal 
acquaintance with the habitat of the kiwi. 
The feather of the Apteryx as distinguished from the emu, exhibits the 
peculiarity of not possessing an accessary plume; the barrel is very short in 
reference to the shaft and its diameter small. Taxidermists allege that the 
plumage of the kiwi is loosely attached to the skin and readily drops out, and 
a reason to account for the ease with which the quill parts from its sac might 
probably be found in the drying up of certain secretions after death.- In dis- 
secting specimens we found that the quills of the feathers over some portions 
of the trunk were deeply seated in the skin, so much so that we believe the 
bird would instantly feel the contact of external objects that might touch the 
spinal and femoral plumage. The thick tough skin which envelopes and 
protects this night toiler, working amidst the humid mosses of the bush, is 
rendered more completely defensive by being thus endowed with a keen sense 
of touch, for by the slightest displacement of its feathers the retiring cautious- 
ness of the bird is at once awakened, and it is enabled to shrink from danger, 
Dogs readily follow the scent of the Apteryx ; those belonging to miners 
and prospectors destroy great numbers, far more than either they or their 
owners consume. We have observed that some kiwi-hunting dogs become 
so dainty that they content themselves with tearing off the head for the 
sake of consuming the brains, leaving the rest of the carcase untouched. 
Dogs that have lost their masters and have gradually entered upon a wild life, 
