28 



tions^ states (in his valuable Monograph of Parrots) that^ after a careful examination of the type specimen 

 he felt bound to admit S, greyi as a good species. It only remains for me to say that I regret that my 

 convictions bompel me to sink a name designed by the describer as a compliment to Sir George Grey 

 who has always taken so zealous a part in the furtherance of ornithological science. 



* 



Nestling. The young Kakapo is at first covered with greyish down_, but assumes the adult plumage from 

 the nest^ although the colours are duller than in the mature bird^ and with a less admixture of yellow ; 

 the ear-coverts are darker, and the facial disk less conspicuous. 



General remarks. In tlie peculiar form which constitutes the unique member of the genus Stringops, the hill 

 is broad and powerful ; the upper mandible has a peculiar rasp-like character within, while the lower 

 mandible is deeply fluted on its outer surface, with a worn, notched process near the extremity. The 

 plumage is soft but compact ; the wings apparently well-developed, but useless for purposes of flight, 

 with the quills much curved or bent ; the tail long and slightly dccurved, the feathers composing it 

 acuminate and sometimes with the tips abraded; the projecting feathers on the cheeks loose, with dis- 

 united filaments and shafts much produced ; the legs strong and well formed ; the tarsi covered with 

 elevated rounded scales ; the toes similarly protected in their basal portion, scutellate towards the end ; 

 the claws strong, well-arched, sharp on their inner edge, and with fine points. 



This is one of the very remarkable forms peculiar to New Zealand, and has been appropriately 

 termed an Owl Parrot. As its name Stringops indicates, its face bears a resemblance to that 

 of an Owl ; and our knowledge of the structure and habits of the bird would seem to prove that 

 it supplies in the grand scheme of nature the connecting Imk between the Owls and Parrots. 

 In all the essential characteristics of structure it is a true Parrot ; but in the possession of a facial 

 disk (in which respect it differs from all other known Parrots), in the soft texture of its plumage, 

 and especially in its decidedly nocturnal habits, it betrays strong affinities to the Owl tribe. Its 

 toes, as in all other members of the order, are zygodactyle ; but, as pointed out by Mr. T. W. Wood, 

 in an interesting article communicated to the ' Student' (1870, p. 492), the foot of an Owl, when 

 the bird is perched, considerably resembles that of a Parrot, as the outer toe is then placed 

 backwards with the hind one, so that the bird's feet may be said to be temporarily zygodactyle, 

 whereas those of the Parrot are permanently so. 



Although exclusively a vegetable-eater, its habit of hiding during the* day in holes of trees 

 and dark burrows exhibits a further point of resemblance to the nocturnal birds of prey. As these 

 latter are in reality night Hawks, so is this bird, what the native name, Kakapo, implies, a night 



connec 



link between the Accipitres and Psittaci. 



The feathers surrounding the eyes and filling the lores diff'er from those on the other parts 

 of the body not only in being of a lighter colour, but also in form and structure, bemg narrow 

 and penicillate, with the shaft considerably produced. Those overlapping the base of the lower 

 mandible are more stiff and elongated. 



All who have studied the bird in its natural state agree on this point, that the wings, 

 although sufficiently large and strong, are perfectly useless for purposes of flight, and that the 

 bird merely spreads them to break the force of its fall m descending from a higher point to a 

 lower when suddenly surprised ; in some instances (as one of the writers quoted below informs us) 

 even this use of them is neglected, the bird falling to the ground like a stone. 



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