FLIGHTLESS BIRDS. 11 
with its skeleton, as well as several other beautiful speci- 
mens illustrating the subject before us. There are few 
more interesting birds than this little Apteryx, which was 
at one time abundant in some of the mountainous parts of 
New Zealand, but is now fast dying out before the advance 
of civilization, and its attendant pests of dogs and cats run 
wild, and other vermin which now over-run the islands. 
About four species are known, two of them Apteryx bulleri 
(Mantelli) and A. australis, from the north and south 
islands respectively, well illustrating what is seen in many 
other New Zealand birds, as well as in other similar 
districts, the fact of two distinct, but closely allied, species 
inhabiting contiguous but dissociated areas. Apteryx is 
about as large as a domestic fowl, and differs, amongst 
other things from other Struthious birds, in having a back 
toe, and it presents the remarkable peculiarity of its nostrils 
being placed at the extremity of its long bill; it is clothed 
with a soft, loose plumage, resembling that of other 
Struthious birds, but the feathers lack an aftershaft. It has 
powerful legs and claws, and it can run with considerable 
swiftness. It is strictly nocturnal in its habits, and it feeds 
mainly upon large earthworms, to obtain which it plunges 
its long flexible bill deep into the soft ground which it 
frequents. It lays two white eggs, ofa relatively enormous 
size (one egg obtained by Buller measured 5°30 by 3°30 
inches, and weighed 15} ounces), in burrows dug out 
or adapted by the bird, the work of excavation being 
apparently performed by the female only. This was 
amusingly illustrated by an incident which occurred to 
Sir W. Buller when once out Kiwi hunting, ‘ Kiwi’”’ 
being the native name for the Apteryzx, which is hunted 
by dogs specially trained for the purpose, which track the 
birds to their holes by scent. Seven specimens having 
been captured, four females and three males, they were 
