1877.] The Giant Birds of New Zealand. 13 
to be the last of their race; one of these was captured on the 
west coast of the South Island and is now among the treasures 
of the British Museum. 
The true wingless birds of New Zealand, however, are the 
kiwis, of which four species are known; all of these are totally 
incapable of flight, being, as their scientific name (Apteryx) im- 
plies, without wings ; they have, however, the merest rudiments 
of wings, that can be felt underneath the feathers. The kiwis, 
although at one time quite abundant and used by the natives 
for food, are now the most unique and rarest birds in New Zea- 
land and probably the strangest of living birds. The kiwis are 
small for the order to which they belong, the Cursores, which in- 
cludes the ostrich, emu, cassowary, etc., the smaller ones being 
from fifteen to twenty inches high, while the largest, the roa- 
roa (A. maxima), is the size of a small turkey. They all have 
strong, well developed legs, depending on their speed for safety ; 
and long bills, which they thrust among the decayed leaves and 
fern-roots in quest of the grubs and insects that constitute their 
food. Like the kakapo, they seek their food at night, as they 
are then exposed to fewer enemies. As is common with the 
cursorial birds, the kiwis have a loose, hair-like plumage of a 
dull brown or gray color. Being without wings or tail they 
have a very odd appearance, looking like a ball of feathers, to 
which are appended two stout legs and a long bill. We must 
not fail to notice the size of the kiwi’s egg, which is monstrous 
when compared with the size of the bird, being about five inches 
in length and weighing usually over thirteen ounces, or one 
quarter as heavy as the parent bird. Like the other short-winged 
birds of New Zealand, the kiwis are fast becoming exterminated, 
not only by the natives, but also by their new enemies, the dogs, 
cats, and rats, that have accompanied the white man. Wherever 
the country has been settled by Europeans the kiwis have dis- 
appeared, and are now found only in the wild and little-known 
region along the west coast of the South Island. : 
Science in her survey of the earth has shown that, as with 
the trees and flowers, the various orders of animal life are 
grouped in distinct geographical provinces, in which certain 
types predominate. Not only does this grouping hold good for — | 
the animals of to-day, but embraces, also, the later geological 
ages, and shows that the ancient forms frequently far surpassed 
their modern descendants in size. Thus, in South America, 
where the little armadillos and the sloths have their home, the 
