36 



m 



wings to break its fall, but dropped as if it did not possess any wings at all In order to 



see whether they would fly, or even flutter, when pursued by an enemy, I placed on the ground a 

 full-grown specimen, which had been caught by the dog without being hurt. It was on a large 

 shingle-bed ; so that the bird had ample room for running or rising on the wing, if for this pur- 

 pose it wanted space. I was not a little astonished to observe that it only started running towards 

 the nearest point of the forest, where a dark shadow was apparent — and quicker than I had 

 expected, considering the position of its toes and its clumsy figure, resembling closely a Galli- 

 naceous bird in its movements. As I was standing sideways to it, I thought that it kept its wings 

 closed upon its body, so little were they opened ; but my companion, who was equally anxious to 

 see how our prisoner would try to escape, and who stood a little behind it, observed that it opened 

 its wings slightly, but without flapping them in any degree, using them apparently more for keep- 

 ing its balance than for accelerating its movements. This would almost lead to the conclusion 

 that the Kakapo does not travel far, especially as I have already shown that its whole structure is 

 ill adapted for running. But having myself frequently followed the tracks, and found them to 

 extend a great distance over the sandy reaches along the river, such a conclusion as that suggested 

 above would be erroneous. It must be exceedingly fond of water, because in many localities its 

 tracks were observed for half a mile over shingle and sand to the banks of the river; and I am 

 unable to explain the curious fact, unless the object be to mix river- water Avith the enormous mass 

 of pulpy vegetable matter which is to be found in its crop. With the exception of two specimens, 

 the crops of which were filled with the large berries of a small-leaved Coriaria^ by which their 

 flesh was flavoured, all the birds examined by me had their crops widely distended by a mass of 



finely comminuted vegetable mosses, weighing many ounces I carefully examined the 



subterranean abode of this bird. From the account given by the natives, I thought that it would 

 be found living in well-excavated holes, resembling in their construction those of the Fox or 

 Badger, that the entrance would be so small as to enable only the inhabitants to enter, and thus 

 to exclude larger animals from persecuting it. This, however, is not the case, because, with one 

 exception, all the specimens obtained were either in fissures amongst rocks, or in cavities formed 

 by huge blocks, tumbled one over another, and overgrown with moss, or in holes formed by the 

 roots of decayed trees. The cavities in the rocks were generally sufficiently large to allow of my 

 dog (a good-sized retriever) freely entering them. The openings to the other holes being smaller, 

 it was sometimes necessary to cut away a few roots at the entrance. Inside, the cavity was 

 invariably of very large size, because we could plainly hear the dog advancing several yards before 

 commencing his scuffle with the occupant; and on returning, with the bird in his mouth, he 

 always emerged head foremost, thus proving that the chamber was large enough to enable him to 

 turn himself round. Before he had become accustomed to the work, the dog was often punished 

 severely by the bird's powerful beak and claws ; but he ultimately became quite an expert, always 

 seizing his prey by the head and crushing the skull. He appeared to take a delight in searching 



for these birds, and was never tired of providing for us in this manner The holes or 



abodes of the Kakapo were not only on the mountain-sides, but also on the flats near the river- 

 banks, which are liable to be overflowed. There can be no doubt that, when a sudden inundation 

 takes place, the bird can save itself upon a bush or neighbouring tree. I do not think, however, 

 that it can climb the boles of standing trees, because it never resorted to them during the night or 







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