70 Proceedings of the Royal Physical Society. 
previously, (of this, of course, I could not be quite certain), the layers seeming 
to indicate that.” 
Mr Dall mentions that the female of <Apteryx haasti (grandis) when 
captured alive with egg in the oviduct, fully formed, and sometimes in the 
shell, had the power of absorbing them into their system. After confining 
the birds for a few days the eggs appeared to dwindle away internally and 
finally dissolved. 
Letter, lith August 1896.—“... The locality for the Apteryx haasti 
(grandis) is among the ranges upon the West Coast of the South Island of 
New Zealand. These birds feed upon worms, freshwater crayfish and snails. 
The dark-coloured Helix or Paryphanta lignaria, which I have never seen in 
a perfect state, is very abundant in the bogs or parkees where the Kiwis run. 
“T have heard of extra large specimens of A. haasti, also of A. mantelli 
(bulleri) and A. australis, or giants, as it were, of their races; but the A. 
haasti sent to you is the largest I have got. These three Apteryges are 
indiscriminately called Roas by the Maori. It is only by exercising great 
care that the true species can be certified. I see no reason to doubt the 
truth in regard to these extra large specimens, as I know the parties who 
have caught them, and they are as a rule men not given to exaggeration.” 
Letter, 18th May 1897.—“1I have only heard of two skins of Apteryzx 
haasti being got since my last. The place is so difficult of access that much 
cannot be done that way unless at great expense.” 
The Hon. Walter Rothschild, Ph.D., in ovitates Zoologice, vol. vi., 
December 1899, page 383, says: “ Very little is on record about the life- 
history of Haast’s Kiwi, but from what we know its habits are similar to 
those of the other species of Apteryx.” . 
It is to be observed that when I first met Mr Dall he only knew the 
large Apteryx (which he later called haasti) by the name grandis, and 
another naturalist to whom he introduced me only knew the bird by this 
name and did not seem to know of Apteryx haasti. In his correspondence 
with me, he in early letters names these birds as A. grandis; then later on 
he changes to A. haasti (grandis), and finally refers to them only as A. haasti. 
From this I conclude that he at least believed they were haasti, as he 
certifies them as such. 
However, quite apart from what Mr Dall writes, as to the name, his 
correspondence makes it clear that they came from the South Island from 
an exact locality, which I have not mentioned. It therefore follows that, 
if A. mantelli is confined to the North Island, the remains under consideration 
cannot be that variety, and the skins now exhibited seem so different from 
A. australis that I do not think they are its remains. Then they are so 
