distinguish as Kiwi-nui (large Kiwi) and Kiwi-iti (small $ Kiwi). 
The Kiwi-nui is said to be found in the Tuhua district, West of 
Lake Taupo , and is in my opinion Apteryx MantelK. Kiwi-iti may 
possibly be Apteryx Owenii , though I can give no certain infor- 
mation on this subject. 
Apteryx Owenii , 1 the third species, somewhat smaller than the 
former two species and with grayish plumage, was first described 
by Mr. Gould in 1847, from a specimen procured by Mr. F. Strange 
and believed to have been obtained from South Island. The four 
specimens in the British Museum most certainly come from the 
South; and during my stay in the Province of Nelson, I had an 
opportunity to convince myself with my own eyes, that this species 
is still quite frequent in the spurs of the Southern Alps on Cook 
Strait. Some natives I met in Collingwood on Golden Bay, upon 
a promise of £5 agreed to go out kiwi-hunting for me; and, in 
fact, after only three days they brought me two living specimens 
of Apteryx Owenii, male and female, which they had caught ('lose 
by the sources of the Rocky and Slate rivers, tributaries of the 
Aorere river, at a height of 3000 feet above the level of the sea. 
I kept them for several weeks alive in a hen-coop in Nelson, until 
one fine morning the male made its escape; the female I brought 
with me preserved in spirits. 2 When Mr. Skeet in 1861 examined 
the mountains between the Takaka and Buller rivers in the Pro- 
vince of Nelson, he found in the grassy ridges on the East side of 
Owen river such numbers of these Kiwis, that with the aid of 
two dogs he could catch 15 to 20 of them every night. He and 
bis men lived on kiwi-meat, and the range they called kiwi-range. 
Also in the Wairau ranges East of Blind Bay (Prov. Marlborough) 
Kiwis are said to be still quite frequent, and as far as my indi- 
vidual experience goes, it is here also the species Apteryx Owenii, 
which consequently is the common Kiwi of the northern portion 
of South Island. 
1 Apteryx Owenii Gould, P. Z. S. 1847, p. 94. 
,, „ „ Birds of Aust. VI. pi. 3. 
2 I presented the specimen to our celebrated anatomist, Prof. Hyrtl, for an 
anatomical examination. 
