3418 Birds. 



it, using his beak in every direction, feeling the wainscoting even near- 

 ly as high as he could reach ; but all this with a want of discrimination 

 which agreed with the impression of a deficiency of intelligence pre- 

 viously derived from his whole conduct and appearance. He had 

 advanced some little distance from his box, with his body in the semi- 

 erect position ; he gave one the idea of his being in a state of uncer- 

 tainty as to where he was, but soon seemed to recollect himself; yet, 

 instead of going in by the way he had come out, he ran towards the 

 back wall, then, as soon as he reached it, turned suddenly and rushed 

 under his curtain. On this as on other similar occasions, he charged 

 strenuously again and again, throwing himself against any one imped- 

 ing his retreat to his den ; and he never, in the presence of persons, 

 shows any notion of escape from his confinement. He is not nervously 

 timid, for he does not start at a sudden noise, though, as I shall have 

 occasion to mention presently, he has excellent ears. It is evident 

 that he can see by day, from his attacks upon anything brought near 

 him ; but he never looks about him, and this gives him a mopish ap- 

 pearance, very different from that of most birds. How opposite, for 

 instance, to that of his neighbour the Weka, who is always turning 

 his head and directing his eyes, stooping down to peep under or stand- 

 ing on tiptoe to look over an obstacle. 



The mode of life confirms Professor Owen's deduction from the or- 

 ganization, that in the Apteryx the sense of smell is developed at the 

 expense of that of sight; and this is associated with many peculiarities 

 of disposition and habits. 



He seems as irascible as when he first came over, several months 

 ago ; but it is fair to mention that his temper was perhaps spoiled ou 

 board ship, for his fellow- passengers are said to have been in the ha- 

 bit of teasing him. He does not at all know his keeper, which is not 

 to be wondered at, considering that he feeds at night. Earth-worms, 

 and a considerable quantity of meat cut into pieces the size of dice, 

 are placed in his stall every evening ; the latter in a corner, and the 

 former in a flower-pot with a hole in the bottom, through which they 

 crawl into the heap of soil which I formerly mentioned. Most of the 

 meat has disappeared by the morning, and holes made by the beak oi 

 the bird all over the soil, show how busy he has been in hunting for 

 w r orms. A track made all round his stall tells how much he paces 

 near the outskirts of his territory. His digestion, from the quantity 

 of food he eats, must be excellent. His droppings are liquid, like 

 those of carnivorous birds, and each of them spreads perhaps for four 

 or six inches square upon the bricks, the white urinous part generally 



