3G0 



appear to be the same in almost every respect, I consider it sufficient for my present purpose to 

 record the observations I have made on the bird inhabiting the North Island, an excellent portrait 

 of which, from a living bird, is given on the foregoing Plate. 



Whether we are justified in separating this form, as a species, from the one inhabiting the 

 South Island, originally described and still known as Apteryx australis, is a point on which orni- 

 thologists are not yet agreed. My reasons, however, for adopting this course will be found in my 

 account of the last-named species at a subsequent page. 



Some thirteen years ago, when residing at Wellington, I received, through the kind offices 

 of Mr. Richard Woon, my first live specimens of the Apteryx. They were eight in number, 

 mostly females, and all full-grown. Three of these birds having shortly afterwards died, I 

 forwarded them in spirits to Professor Owen, to assist him in his examination of the anatomy of 

 this anomalous form. The others remained in my possession for a considerable time ; and I was 

 thus afforded a favourable opportunity of studying their peculiarities of structure and habit. In 

 the letter forwarding them, Mr. Woon gave the following information : — " They were caught by 

 muzzled dogs in the bosky groves and marshes of the Upper Wanganui, at a place called Manga- 

 nuioteao, about 100 miles from the mouth of the river. There are great numbers still to be 

 found in this district. They go together in companies of from six to twelve, and make the country 

 resound at night with their shrill cry." 



During my residence in Wanganui, I have had in my possession at various times no less than 

 seventeen of these birds, of different ages, and all obtained from the same locality, Avhich appears 

 to be the last stronghold of the Apteryx in the North Island. In former years they were very 

 abundant in the mountainous part of the Hokianga district, north of Auckland ; but according to 

 all accounts they are now comparatively scarce in that part of the country. To the present day they 

 linger on some of the small islands in the gulf of Hauraki ; for although so singular a fact has 

 often been called in question, resting as it apparently did on the mere assertion of the natives, 

 the matter has been placed beyond all dispute by Mr. T. Kirk, who lately obtained several 

 himself on the Little Barrier. 



I cannot better illustrate the habits of this bird under confinement than by giving the 

 following extracts from a notebook containing the record of my own observations from time to 

 time. The first entry relates to a fine bird brought to me by a native from Ranana, who stated 

 that he had taken it from a small natural cavity on the slope of the Mairehau hill, some fifty 

 miles up the Wanganui river. 



"Oct. 1866. One of the inmates of my aviary at present is an adult female Kiwi, only 

 recently captured. During the day it retires into a small dark chamber, where it remains coiled 

 up in the form of a ball — and if disturbed or dislodged, moves drowsily about, and seeks the 

 darkest corner of its prison, when it immediately rolls itself again into an attitude of repose. 

 It appears to be blinded by the strong glare of sunlight ; and although it recovers itself in the 

 shade, it can then only detect objects that are near. Night is the time of its activity; and the 

 whole nature of the bird then undergoes a change : coming forth from its diurnal retreat full of 

 animation, it moves about the aviary unceasingly, tapping the walls with its long slender bill, and 

 probing the ground in search of earth-worms. The feeding of this bird at night with the large 

 glow-worm (' toke-tipa ' of the natives) is a very interesting sight. This annelid, wdiich often 



