85 



about the premises, its ready confidence quickly ti-ansforms a pet into a plague. 

 Let those who doubt its omnivorous propensities allow it access to a dairy, and 

 watch the deft manner in which it manages to clear the cream from the pans. 



Having entered so minutely into the habits of a bird so well known as the 

 Kaka, it appears unnecessary to append a description, further thaii a few 

 words about the tongue, etc., as some doubt has existed as to its position as 

 one of the TricJioglossince, and whether its tongue is fui'nished with a brush- 

 like termination or not. The tongue is thick, fining down towards the point, 

 not unlike a finger ; the superior side is flattish, the under side is rounded and 

 furnished with a row of short stifli" papillae, black in colour ; this brush-like 

 apparatvis can scarcely be said to form the termination of the tongue, it really 

 occupies a similar position on the tongue which the margin of the nail occupies on 

 the human finger j on the inside of the lower mandible may be observed, just 

 within the deeply channeled lip, a row of minute yellowish dots, very slightly 

 raised above the surface of the mandible ; at the sides these specks give way 

 to very faintly marked furrows, probably to clear the papillse by the pressure 

 of the tongue against the lower mandible. Those who have only seen dried 

 skins, may not be aware that the iipper and lower mandibles are connected by 

 a thin tough skin, which allows the beak to open widely, and gives great 

 freedom to the movements of the lower mandible ; about the middle of this 

 skin, in a line with the gape, a shallow sac or pouch exists, containing a wax- 

 like substance. 



Having only recently enjoyed the pleasure of reading Gould's Handhooh to 

 the Birds of Austrcdia, we were not aware how little was known of the Kaka ; 

 a desire to carry out a wish therein expressed for further information about 

 this bird must form the apology for entering so minutely into its habits. A 

 difficult task it would be, even for an accomplished ornithologist, to give any- 

 thing like a strictly accurate description of the Xaka's plumage, which should 

 at the same time be supposed to represent satisfactorily and correctly the 

 appearance of that of the species ; so great is the variation in numerous minor 

 points, that it offers great temptations to subdivision. As children, we used to 

 be told that no two leaves were precisely alike of the gold a,nd green mass that 

 made up the foliage of the variegated sycamore ; we have been reminded 

 more than once of this piece of folklore when looking at a number of our 

 parrots. Mr. Buller, in Essay (p. 11), alludes to several varieties in the 

 feathers of the Kaka. Most noticeable must this variation of ^^lumage appear 

 to those who have enjoyed opportunities of inspecting specimens which have 

 presented a cha,nge and difierence of feather so remarkable as in those birds 

 which, under the names of N. superhus or N. occidentcdis, have been classed as 

 separate species. Here is a change indeed ; instead of the accustomed dress of 

 sober brown, relieved from positive dulness by an olive shade, our usually demure- 

 looking friend appeai-s decked out in bright trappings of canary yellow with 



