26 



lake, about 150 acres in extent, and all within my private property, they are not likely to be 

 molested in any way. But to prevent any chance of Maori depredations in the breeding season, I 

 have also placed on the island three large live tuataras, kindly supplied to me by Captain 

 Fairchild. The fame of these lizards, of which the Maoris have a most unaccountable dread, 

 has spread far and wide. I have named them after three noted dragons of the past, Peketahi, 

 Whangaimokopuna, and Horomatangi ; and the Kiwis could not have three better guardians, for 

 with this dread of the ngarara no Maori will ever willingly set foot on the island. The birds are 

 apparently doing well, for the shrill calls — of the male and female responsively — may be heard 

 every night, the effect across the still waters of the lake being very pleasing. I had intended to 

 add a pair of Kakapo (Stringops habroptilus) to this little island community, but, unfortunately, 

 one of them died, and the other effected its escape, before I could accomplish my object. I fear I 

 shall not now have an opportunity of doing this till after my return from England. The Kiwis, 

 however, may be looked upon as fairly established there ; and it will be interesting to note 

 whether, within their now circumscribed home, the three species will interbreed or not. An 

 experiment of this kind could not be carried out under more favourable conditions, and I shall 

 not fail to inform the Society hereafter as to the result." 



I had afterwards six live specimens of Apteryx haasti in my possession for some time, and 

 was much impressed with their gentle character, as compared with that of Apteryx mantelli and A. 

 laivryi. Whilst they were in my enclosure — a period of a month or more — they never, so far as 



1 am aware, uttered a single cry, in which respect they differed entirely from the other noisy 

 species. They were very tame from the first, allowing themselves to be handled without much 

 resistance. They had been caught in the wooded country near the Buller Eiver, and were placed 

 at once on meat food, in lieu of earthworms. Three of them pined away and died, having 

 wasted to mere skeletons, being unable apparently to adapt themselves to the new and artificial 

 conditions of life. The other three took readily to their new diet — raw minced beef and ox-heart 

 — and became at the end of the month quite fat and heavy. I then shipped them to Mr. Boths- 

 child, who received them in excellent health and condition. 



A specimen sent to me by the Curator of the Nelson Museum for examination was either a 

 male or half -grown female: — -Plumage very dark, the prevailing colour being dark brown, with 

 indistinct spots of paler brown, the latter appearance being due to each feather having a bar of that 

 colour immediately below the produced filaments ; the head and neck almost as dark as the rest 

 of the body. A distinguishing character is that all the plumage, and particularly that of the 

 upper parts, has a spiny character, the shafts of the feathers being produced beyond the web as in 

 Apteryx mantelli. This character is most pronounced on the back, where the stiff black shaft is 

 produced fully three-quarters of an inch beyond the web. The bill is horn-coloured, with pale 

 brown tips ; legs blackish brown ; claws paler and very sharp. 



In Mr. Bothschild's beautiful collection of New Zealand Birds at Tring there are two 

 partial albinoes of this species. They are male and female. The former has the crown of 

 the head, face, throat, and an irregular narrow stripe down the fore-neck dull greyish-white ; on 

 the shoulder, breast, and back there are likewise a few scattered feathers of pure white. The 

 female, which is an exceptionally large specimen, has a broad, irregular, transverse band of 

 yellowish white on the under part of the body ; rest of the plumage normal. 



From a fresh specimen I obtained the following measurements : — Adult $ . Length, to end 

 of tail 29 in., to end of outstretched legs 41 in. ; culmen, from anterior edge of cere to the tip, 

 5 '25 in. ; along the edge of lower mandible, from the angle of the mouth, 6*25 in. ; tarsus, 

 3*50 in. ; middle toe and claw, 3*50 in. (the claw being 1 in.) ; hallux, 0'75 in. ; middle 

 circumference of tarsus, 2*50 in. ; circumference at junction of phalanges, 4'25 in. ; humerus, 



2 in. ; cubitus, 1'50 in. ; spur, 0'25 in. 



