72 
MR.  W.  YARRELL'S  DESCRIPTION  OF  APTERYX  AUSTRALIS. 
The  specimen  of  the  Apteryx,  which  formerly  belonged  to  Dr.  Shaw,  and  was  sold 
after  his  death  with  his  other  effects,  was  purchased  by  Lord  Stanley.  Doubts  having 
been  thrown  on  the  existence  of  such  a  specimen,  it  was  sent  by  His  Lordship  for 
exhibition  at  the  Zoological  Society ;  and  the  materials  with  which  it  was  stuffed 
having  been  previously  removed,  by  his  directions,  the  skin  was  exposed  to  a  close 
examination. 
The  figures  of  this  bird  in  the  '■  Naturalist's  Miscellany '  being  but  little  known,  and 
those  of  some  of  the  minor  parts  deficient  in  character,  it  has  been  considered  that  a 
second  representation  of  the  bird,  and  a  more  detailed  description,  might  be  acceptable 
to  zoologists. 
The  whole  length  of  the  bird  from  the  point  of  the  beak  to  the  end  of  the  body 
(for  there  is  no  tail,)  is  32  inches ;  the  beak  is  of  a  light  yellow  brown  colour,  long, 
slender,  smooth  and  polished,  in  form  resembling  that  of  an  Ibis,  but  rather  more 
straight  and  depressed  at  the  base ;  length  from  the  gape  to  the  point  6  inches  and 
three  quarters ;  the  upper  mandible  is  grooved  on  each  outer  side,  near  the  margin, 
throughout  its  whole  length ;  at  the  end  of  this  groove  on  each  side  the  nostrils  are 
pierced,  the  apertures  elongated,  and  covered  by  a  membrane  so  suspended  on  the  out- 
side of  each  of  them  like  a  valve,  that  the  slightest  pressure  against  the  outer  surface, 
'  when  flexible,  as  during  life,  would  render  the  nostrils  impervious,  and  effectually  defend 
and  cover  them.  A  bristle  introduced  into  the  nostril,  under  and  behind  this  defending 
membrane,  passes  up  the  whole  length  of  the  beak.  The  upper  mandible  terminates  in 
a  blunt  truncated  knob,  projecting  a  little  downwards,  behind  which,  on  its  under  sur- 
face, the  end  of  the  lower  mandible  ranges  when  both  are  closed.  The  lower  mandible 
is  also  grooved  slightly  near  the  outer  edges  throughout  its  whole  length.  Both  man- 
dibles are  broad  and  flat  at  the  base,  measuring  full  1  inch  across  at  the  gape,  and 
only  7  lines  in  height.  The  breadth  of  the  upper  mandible  at  the  point  is  2  lines,  the 
under  mandible  still  more  narrow. 
Throughout  the  whole  length  of  the  upper  mandible  and  the  distal  three-fourths  of 
the  under  one,  the  inner  or  opposed  surfaces  of  both  are  perfectly  flat,  producing  when 
pressed  together  uniform  and  entire  contact,  and  well  adapted  for  compressing  or 
crushing  such  substances  as  may  be  selected  for  food.  The  proximal  fourth  of  the  lower 
mandible  is  concave  on  its  inner  surface,  affording  space  for  the  tongue,  which  must,  in 
proportion  to  the  beak,  be  small  and  short. 
The  form  of  the  body  in  this  preserved  specimen  is  that  of  an  elongated  cone  placed 
nearly  upright  over  a  pair  of  short  and  stout  legs,  and  the  bird  is  thus  made  to  resemble 
a  Penguin.  In  the  plate  annexed  to  the  present  description,  the  position  and  character 
assumed  for  it  is  that  of  the  Struthious  birds,  in  accordance  with  its  real  systematic  re- 
lations. 
From  the  crown  of  the  head  to  the  lower  end  of  the  body,  the  length  is  24  inches, 
