Birds. 3411 



let down ; by which means the poor Kiwi-kiwi is liable, at a moment's 

 notice, to be exposed to the unwelcome glare of day. 



It is not easy to speak, with any useful result, of the impressions 

 produced by the first sight of the bird ; these will vary according to 

 the feelings and temperament of the individual, and more especially 

 in proportion to the extent and accuracy of his previous information. 

 The first instinctive action of the mind is to compare a real image 

 with that already existing in the " mind's eye." In the more commu- 

 nicative part of mankind, this gives rise to some exclamation to which 

 it is not uninteresting to listen. I need only mention as one of the 

 most frequent amongst the visitors to the Kiwi-kiwi, — "What a little 

 thing it is ! " — often in a tone of disappointment, and sometimes even 

 of indignation, at the supposed " take in," so natural is the preference 

 for a sight of animals of not insignificant dimensions. Probably false 

 notions of size have been derived from representations in some of the 

 illustrated periodicals. 



The physiognomy is one of the first things which strikes most per- 

 sons on seeing a new creature, for we naturally refer everything to the 

 human standard. The epithets of "ugly," "queer-looking," "stupid," 

 are often coupled with such as " clumsy," " sulky," " spiteful." How 

 far these may severally be deserved, will be gathered from what I have 

 to relate. It is certain they are too generally applied not to be highly 

 indicative of impressions produced upon a large proportion of the 

 spectators. 



For my own part, as I was not unacquainted with the principal pla- 

 ces where descriptions and figures of the several species of Apteryx 

 were to be found, I may perhaps be pardoned for mentioning what 

 most struck me on my first visit as different from my preconceived 

 notions ; though I do not mean to infer that other persons would not 

 have derived more accurate ideas from the same sources. 



The various positions, and the expression of the face, were new to 

 me, for these had not yet been transferred to the painter's canvas. The 

 little convex eye had been described by Professor Owen, but its co- 

 lour had been represented by others as red or green instead of black ; 

 and its rat-like or hedgehog-like expression, heightened by the long 

 bristles placed near it, and representing the " whiskers " which are so 

 much developed in Mammalia of nocturnal habits, could hardly have 

 been realized until seen alive. I remarked the stoutness of the feet 

 and naked part of the legs. I was struck by the scratched and dead- 

 white appearance of the large and bony-looking beak, which so much 

 reminded me of a rook's in that particular, that I actually went away 



