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claws and beak. At a very recent period it was common all over the west coast of the Middle 
Island ; but there is now a race of wild dogs said to have overrun all the northern part of this shore, 
and to have almost extirpated the Kakapos wherever they have reached. Their range is said to be at 
present confined by a river or some such physical obstruction ; and it is to be feared that, if the) once 
succeed in gaining the stronghold of the Kakapo (the S.W. end of the island), the bird may soon 
become extinct. During the latter half of February and the first half of March, whilst we were 
amongst the haunts of these birds, we found young ones in many of the holes— frequently only one, 
never more than two, in the same hole. In one case where there were two young ones, I found also 
an addled egg. There was usually, but not always, an old bird in the same hole with the young ones. 
They build no nest, but simply scrape a slight hollow amongst the dry dust formed of decayed wood. 
The young were of different ages, some being nearly fully fledged, and others covered only with down. 
The egg is white and about the size of a Pigeon’s. 
“The cry of the Kakapo is a hoarse croak, varied occasionally by a discordant shriek when 
irritated or hungry. The Maoris say that during winter they assemble together in large numbers in 
caves, and that at the times of meeting, and again before dispersing to their summer haunts, the noise 
they make is perfectly deafening. A good many young ones were brought on board the ship alive. Most 
of them died a few days afterwards, probably from want of sufficient care ; some died aftei being kept 
a month or two; and the legs of others became deformed after they had been a few weeks in captivity. 
The cause of the deformity was supposed to be the want of proper food, and too close confinement. 
They were fed chiefly on soaked bread, oatmeal and water, and boiled potatoes. W hen let loose in 
a garden they would eat lettuces, cabbages, and grass, and would taste almost every green leaf that 
they came across. One which I brought within six hundred miles of England (when it was acciden- 
tally killed), whilst at Sydney ate eagerly of the leaves of a Bariksia and several species of Eucalyptus , 
as well as grass, appearing to prefer them all to its usual diet of bread and water. It was also very 
fond of nuts and almonds, and during the latter part of the homeward voyage lived almost entirely 
on Brazilian ground-nuts. On several occasions the bird took sullen fits, during which it would eat 
nothing for two or three days at a time, screaming and defending itself with its beak when any one 
attempted to touch it. It was at all times of an uncertain temper, sometimes biting severely when 
such a thing was least expected. It appeared to be always in the best humour when first taken out 
of its box in the morning, hooking on eagerly with its upper mandible to the finger held down to 
lift it out. As soon as it was placed on the deck it would attack the first object which attracted its 
attention — sometimes the leg of my trousers, sometimes a slipper or a boot. Of the latter it was 
particularly fond : it would nestle down upon it, flapping its wings and showing every symptom of 
pleasure. It would then get up, rub against it with its sides, and roll upon it on its back, striking 
out with its feet whilst in this position. One of these birds, sent on shore by Capt. Stokes to the 
carp of Major Murray, of the 65th Regiment, at Wellington, was allowed to run about his garden, 
where it was fond of the society of the children, following them like a dog wherever they went. 
“ Nearly all the adult Kakapos which I skinned were exceedingly fat, having on the breast a thick 
layer of oily fat or blubber which it was very difficult to separate from the skin. Their stomachs 
contained a pale green, sometimes almost white, homogeneous mass, without any trace of fibre in it. 
There can be little doubt but that their food consists partly of roots (their beaks are usually more or 
less covered with indurated mud), and partly of the leaves and tender shoots of various plants. At 
one place where the birds were numerous we observed that the young shoots of a leguminous shrub 
win- by the banks of a river were all nipped off; and this was said by our pilot, who had 
frequented these places for many years in a whaling-vessel, to be the work of the Kakapo. Their 
flesh is white and is generally esteemed good eating.” 
