STRANGE BIRDS AND THEIR WAYS. 259 



fleet of foot, diving among the heavy fern-leaves with sin- 

 gular adroitness, it is not very easy of capture. It feeds 

 upon insects of various kinds, more especially on worms, 

 which it is said to attract to the surface by jumping and 

 striking on the ground with its powerful feet. The natives 

 always hunt the kiwi-kiwi at night, taking with them 

 torches and spears. The speed of this bird is very consid- 

 erable, and when running it sets its head rather back, raises 

 its neck, and plies its legs with a vigor little inferior to 

 that of the ostrich. 



4. " The fine specimen in the Zoological Gardens of 

 London has already proved a very valuable bird, as she has 

 laid several eggs, thereby setting at rest some disputed 

 cpiestions on the subject, and well illustrates the natural 

 habits of the species. 



5. " Upon her box is placed, under a glass shade, the 

 shell of one of her eggs. These eggs are indeed wonderful, 

 for the bird weighs a little more than four pounds, and 

 each egg weighs between fourteen and fifteen ounces, its 

 length being four and three quarter inches and its width 

 rather more than two inches, thus being very nearly one 

 fourth of the weight of the parent-bird. This, next to that 

 of the ostrich, is the largest egg known. 



6. " The long, curved beak of the apteryx has the nos- 

 trils very narrow, very small, and set on at each side of the 

 tip, so that the bird is enabled to pry out the worms and 

 other nocturnal creatures on which it feeds, not trusting 

 merely to the eyes. The general color of the apteryx is 

 chestnut-brown, each feather being tipped with a darker 

 hue, and the under parts are lighter than the upper." 



