APTERYGIDAE 



39 



from all their allies by their small size, and by the long, weak, 

 decurved bill, which tapers regularly and has the nostrils placed 

 almost at the extremity. The head and eyes are comparatively 

 small, as will be seen to be the case in the Dinornithidae. The 

 legs are very stout and situated backwardly, a small elevated 

 hallux is present, and the toes are provided with long, sharp claws. 

 The moderate metatarsus is reticulated in the young, but is clothed 

 with fairly large scutes in the adult, when it becomes much smoother. 

 The wings are small-boned and invisible, with functionless quills, 

 the tail is rudimentary, the aftershaft and furcula are absent, while 

 many elongated hairs occur on the front of the head. 



Apteryx australis. 



These curious flightless birds are confined to New Zealand, 

 whence a specimen was brought to England as early as 1813. 

 Apteryx mantelli, of the North Island, is deep red-brown with 

 longitudinal streaks of yellowish -brown, the head being darker 

 and the lower parts greyer ; A. australis, of the South Island, is 

 lighter, and feels soft instead of harsh when grasped. A. oweni, 

 of both islands, is much smaller, and is light grey-brown, trans- 

 versely marked with blackish bars. A. haasti, also said to 

 occur in both islands,'^ is a larger and darker form of the last 

 named ; A. laiuryi, of Stewart Island, hardly differs from A. 

 australis ; while A. maximus, of Verreaux, is a very doubtful 

 species. Mr. Eothschild ^ has founded a sub-species (occidentalis) 



' Rothschild, Bull Ornith. Club, I. 1893, pp. Ix. Ixi. ^ Loc. cit. 



