BIRDS OF NEW ZEALAND. 13 



man spinning a dozen yards, following up the same if the unlucky intruder 

 should be able to get on his pins again ; if not, the bird hammers him on the 

 ground. Only a week ago a man near Capetown got a kick in the back 

 which dislocated his shoulder. To show how little they care about being 

 found out, a few days ago I was visiting a pair of birds that were sitting : 

 there had been some heavy rain ; and, to my surprise, both birds were 

 away from the nest. Thinking there was something wrong, I went to the 

 nest, having previously given the cock bird a good feed of Indian corn at a 

 distance to keep him employed. The nest was full of water, and the eggs 

 were stuck fast in the mud. I had just taken them out when the cock per- 

 ceived me, and came down the field thirty miles an hour, giving me just time 

 to dive into the hedge, where I remained until he thought of his food again 

 and went off ; the hen then came down, and the cock seemed satisfied that 

 she would look after the business, and took little or no notice of my scooping 

 out the mud and water with my hands as best I could. The hen seemed 

 much interested in the proceedings, and when I had replaced the eggs she at 

 once sat upon them ; and the pair have been sitting alternately ever since. — 

 W. D. DuMBLETON, Oakhurst, George, Cape-colony." It was thought a 

 curious thing at first that the male Ostrich should incubate ; but I suspect it 

 is more common for cocks to do so than is supposed. I was much amused 

 (May 6, 1869) while observing a female Melizophilus dart/ordiensis which 

 had left her nest containing eggs. The cock bird did not like this neglect of 

 duty ; and he drove her back again, after some trouble ; for she was not 

 obedient. If he does not sit, he has the control. 



Dr. BuUer remarks, in his ' Birds of New Zealand,' speaking of Apteryx 

 mantelli (p. 362) : — " While hunting for its food the bird makes a continual 

 sniffing sound through the nostrils, which are placed at the extremity of the 

 upper mandible. Whether it is guided as much by touch as by smell I 

 cannot safely say ; but it appears to me that both senses are called into 

 action. That the sense of touch is highly developed seems quite certain, 

 because the bird, although it may not be audibly sniffing, will always first 



