Birds. 3413 



peded. The head is in its proper horizontal position, and the eye on 

 the side away from the body may sometimes be seen peering through 

 the overhanging feathers. In the hollow space formed by the bend 

 of the neck, a number of feathers of the body protrude and fall against 

 the upper part of the neck and head, which last is completely covered 

 by the long feathers that arise above the wing ; the course of the beak, 

 the hollow between the thigh and the back, and also the wings, are 

 quite concealed by the feathers which sweep over ; but the feathers 

 on the side on which the head happens to be placed, are seen to be 

 raised to rather a higher level than those on the other side of the back. 

 The end of the back-bone, that is, of the coccyx, which supports no 

 tail, nearly touches the ground. The outline of the body, begin- 

 ning from behind, first rises steeply to the top of the insertion of 

 the thigh, then rather rapidly changes to the horizontal, which part 

 is almost twice as long as the nearly vertical hind part, and in front 

 the outline is very soon inclined under the body. The only visible 

 sign of life in the form before us, for no respiratory movements are 

 seen externally, is an occasional slight lateral swaying or tottering, 

 perhaps owing to the unstable supports of the body resting on a foun- 

 dation of straw. 



This position of rest affords an opportunity for a close approach, 

 and it was thus that I ascertained that a strong smell, something like 

 that of dead leaves, really proceeds from the skin of the animal; it re- 

 minded me very much of the smell of the hedgehog. If it be done 

 very gently, the fingers may be passed amongst the feathers without 

 causing the bird, although its eyes may be wide open, to change its 

 position ; when the comfortable feel of the diffuse and downy lower 

 webs is found to contrast strongly with the comparative harshness of 

 the short and unbarbed webs of the upper part of the feathers, which 

 alone, with the prolonged bristle-like or almost spine-like shaft, is vi- 

 sible externally. But I have not by this or any other manoeuvre been 

 able to feel the beat of the heart, either in the trunk or in the extre- 

 mities ; whilst, from the heat of the body, the circulation must have 

 been actively proceeding. 



If now the Kiwi-kiwi be roused gently, the head is removed from the 

 side and directed forwards, the beak not being withdrawn like a sword 

 from its sheath, but like the blade of a clasp knife sweeping through 

 the feathers, the end of it therefore in the action describing a sort of 

 semicircle in the horizontal plane. The neck may continue to lie 

 against the body, and this gives rise to the appearance of a kind of 

 frill (like that of the variety of common pigeon called the Jacobin) at 



