Birds. 3409 



On the Habits of the Kiwi-kiwi (Apteryx Mantelli, Bartlett), with a 

 mention of Ocydromus. By John Wolley, Esq. 



The actions of animals can only be fully pictured to the imagina- 

 tions of those who have seen and studied them when alive. But per- 

 sons who have had this advantage, may be able to communicate to 

 others a tolerably good idea of an animal, provided that both parties 

 are familiar with other animals which may afford points of comparison ; 

 so many are the analogies which occur amongst the different species 

 of living beings. The task will be rendered far easier if those who 

 read the description have also met with other accounts of the same 

 animal, written by observers of a different turn of mind, from separate 

 points of view, and with varied modes of illustration. 



That such facilities for acquiring a knowledge of the manifestations of 

 life afforded by so interesting a bird as the Kiwi-kiwi, may be accessi- 

 ble to naturalists who will never have an opportunity of seeing it alive, 

 and especially to those who may live after the last Apteryx has been 

 extinguished from the face of the earth, it seems particularly desirable 

 that many persons should take the present, perhaps the only, oppor- 

 tunity of recording their impressions of a living bird, nothing doubt- 

 ing that, however poor their descriptions, and notwithstanding that 

 better ones may be written by more able men, their own may never- 

 theless be hereafter found to contain some useful suggestion, or to 

 throw a light upon something otherwise imperfectly understood. 



These were the feelings which induced me to prepare the present 

 contribution for the pages of the ' Zoologist,' that valuable periodical 

 which is destined to rescue so many facts and observations from obli- 

 vion, and which considers no original communications beneath its 

 notice, however humble their pretensions may be. I shall take it for 

 granted that my readers are more or less acquainted with the general 

 construction and proportions of the Kiwi-kiwi, for even the outlines of 

 a complete description would extend my paper to too great a length, 

 and I could produce nothing upon these subjects not already fully dis- 

 posed of in the beautiful writings of Professor Owen, in the Zoologi- 

 cal Transactions. 



The visitor to the Zoological Gardens who specially asks for an in- 

 terview with the celebrated bird, now for the first time brought alive 

 to this side of the globe, is conducted, by a somewhat obscure route, 

 to the new building called the " Ostrich-house," situated at the north- 

 west corner of the grounds, amongst the trees above the cutting which 

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