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31 



proper food, and too close confinement. They were fed chiefly on soaked bread, oatmeal and 

 water, and boiled potatoes. When let loose in a garden they would eat lettuces, cabbages, and 

 grass, and would taste almost every green leaf that they came across. One which I brought 

 within six hundred miles of England (when it was accidentally killed), whilst at Sydney ate 

 eagerly of the leaves of a BmJcsia and several species of Eucalyptus, as well as grass, appearing 

 to prefer them all to its usual diet of bread and water. It was also very fond of nuts and 

 almonds, and during the latter part of the homeward voyage lived almost entirely on Brazilian 

 ground-nuts. On several occasions the bird took sullen fits, during which it would eat nothing 

 for two or three days at a time, screaming and defending itself with its beak when any one 

 attempted to touch it. It was at all times of an uncertain temper, sometimes biting severely 

 when such a thing was least expected. It appeared to be always in the best humour when first 

 taken out of its box in the morning, hooking on eagerly with its upper mandible to the finger 

 held down to lift it out. As soon as it was placed on the deck it would attack the first object 

 which attracted its attention — sometimes the leg of my trowsers, sometimes a slipper or a boot. 

 Of the latter it was particularly fond : it would nestle down upon it, fiapping its wings and 

 showing every symptom of pleasure. It would then get up, rub against it with its sides, and roll 

 upon it on its back, striking out with its feet whilst in this position. One of these birds, sent on 

 shore by Capt. Stokes to the care of Major Murray, of the 65th Regiment, at Wellington, was 

 allowed to run about his garden, where it was fond of the society of the children, following them 

 like a dog wherever they went. 



" Nearly all the adult Kakapos which I skinned were exceedingly fat, having on the breast 

 a thick layer of oily fat or blubber which it was very difficult to separate from the skin. Their 

 stomachs contained a pale green, sometimes almost white, homogeneous mass, without any trace 

 of fibre in it. There can be little doubt but their food consists partly of roots (their beaks are 

 usually more or less covered with indurated mud), and partly of the leaves and tender shoots of 

 various plants. At one place where the birds were numerous we observed that the young shoots 

 of a leguminous shrub growing by the banks of a river were all nipped off"; and this was said by 

 our pilot, who had frequented these places for many years in a whaling-vessel, to be the work of 

 the Kakapo. Their flesh is white and is generally esteemed good eating." 



Sir George Grey, two years later, sent the following interesting account of the Kakapo to 

 Mr. Gould, who gave it a place in the Appendix to his ' Birds of Australia ' : 



" During the day it remains hid in holes under the roots of trees or rocks, or very rarely perched 

 on the boughs of trees with a very dense thick foliage. At these times it appears stupid from its 

 profound sleep — and if disturbed or taken from its hole, immediately runs and tries to hide itself 

 again, delighting, if practicable, to cover itself in a heap of soft dry grass ; about sunset it becomes 

 lively, animated, and playful, issues forth from its retreat, and feeds on grass, weeds, vegetables, 

 fruit, seeds, and roots. When eating grass it grazes rather than feeds, nibbling the grass in the 

 manner of a rabbit or wombat. It sometimes climbs trees, but generally remains upon the ground, 

 and only uses its short wings for the purpose of aiding its progress when running, balancing 

 itself when on a tree, or in making a short descent, half jump half flight, from an upper to a lower 

 bough. When feeding, if pleased with its food, it makes a continued grunting noise. It is a 

 greedy bird, and choice in its food, showing an evident relish for any thing of which it is fond. 



