CHAP. XIII.] 
THE AUSTRALIAN REGION. 
455 
small islands ; but such localities seem favourable to the Platy- 
cercidae, for another peculiar species is found in the remote Mac- 
quarie Islands, more than 400 miles farther south. A peculiar 
species and genus of ducks, Nesonetta aucklandica, is also found 
here, and as far as yet known, nowhere else. A species of 
the northern genus Mergus is also found on these islands, and has 
been recently obtained by Baron von Htigel. 
Plate XIII. Illustrating the peculiar Ornithology of New Zea- 
land. — Our artist has here depicted a group of the most remark- 
able and characteristic of the New Zealand birds. In the middle 
foreground is the Owl-parrot or Kakapoe (Stringops habi'optilus ), 
a nocturnal burrowing parrot, that feeds on fern-shoots, roots, 
berries, and occasionally lizards ; that climbs but does not fly ; 
and that has an owl-like mottled plumage and facial disc. 
The wings however are not rudimentary, but fully developed; 
and it seems to be only the muscles that have become useless 
for want of exercise. This would imply, that these birds have 
not long been inhabitants of New Zealand only, but were deve- 
loped in other countries (perhaps Australia) where their wings 
were of use to them. 
Beyond the Kakapoe are a pair of the large rails, Notornis 
mantelli; heavy birds with short wings quite useless for 
flight, and with massive feet and bill of a red colour. On 
the right is a pair of Kiwis ( Apteryx australis), one of the 
queerest and most unbird-like of living birds. It has very small 
and rudimentary wings, entirely concealed by the hair-like 
plumage, and no tail. It is nocturnal, feeding chiefly on worms, 
which it extracts from soft earth by means of its long bill. The 
genus Apteryx forms a distinct family of birds, of which four 
species are now known, besides some which are extinct. They 
are allied to the Cassowary and to the gigantic extinct Dinornis . 
On the wing are a pair of Crook-billed Plovers {Anarhynchus 
frontalis), remarkable for being the only birds known which 
have the bill bent sideways. This W'as at first thought to be a 
malformation ; but it is now proved to be a constant character of 
the species, as it exists even in the young chicks ; yet the pur- 
pose served by such an anomalous structure is not yet discovered. 
