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that its whole structure is ill adapted for running. But having myself frequently followed the tracks, 
and found them to extend a great distance over the sandy reaches along the river, such a conclusion 
as that suggested above would be erroneous. It must be exceedingly fond of water, because in 
many localities its tracks were observed for half a mile over shingle and sand to the banks of the 
river ; and I am unable to explain the curious fact, unless the object be to mix river-water with the 
enormous mass of pulpy vegetable matter which is to be found in its crop. With the exception of 
two specimens, the crops of which were filled with the large berries of a small-leaved Coriaria, by 
which their flesh was flavoured, all the birds examined by me had their crops widely distended by a 
mass of finely comminuted vegetable mosses, weighing many ounces I carefully examined 
the subterranean abode of this bird. From the account given by the natives, I thought that it would 
be found living in well-excavated holes, resembling in their construction those of the fox or badger, 
that the entrance would be so small as to enable only the inhabitant to enter, and thus to exclude 
larger animals from persecuting it. This, however, is not the case, because, with one exception, all 
the specimens obtained were either in fissures amongst rocks, or in cavities formed by huge blocks, 
tumbled one over another, and overgrown with moss, or in holes formed by the roots of decayed trees. 
The cavities in the rocks were generally sufficiently large to allow of my dog (a good-sized retriever) 
freely entering them. The openings to the other holes being smaller, it was sometimes necessary to 
cut away a few roots at the entrance. Inside, the cavity was invariably of very large size, because we 
could plainly hear the dog advancing several yards before commencing his scuffle with the occupant ; 
and on returning, with the bird in his mouth, he always emerged head foremost, thus proving that 
the chamber was large enough to enable him to turn himself round. Before he had become 
accustomed to the work, the dog was often punished severely by the bird’s powerful beak and claws; 
but he ultimately became quite an expert, always seizing his prey by the head and crushing the skull. 
He appeared to take a delight in searching for these birds, and was never tired of providing for us 
in this manner The holes or abodes of the Kakapo were not only on the mountain-sides, 
but also on the flats near the river-banks, which are liable to be overflowed. There can be no doubt 
that, when a sudden inundation takes place, the bird can save itself upon a bush or neighbouring 
tree. I do not think, however, that it can climb the boles of standing trees, because it never resorted 
to them during the night or when persecuted by the dog — except in one single case, when the bird 
ascended a leaning tree close to our camp, and remained till the dog had given up the attempt to 
obtain it. But, notwithstanding that almost all the abodes that came under examination were natural 
cavities, I met with one hole which seemed to have been regularly mined. On the northern bank of 
the river Haast, just below the junction of the river Clarke, a large flat occurs, formed by deposits of 
sand, over which a thin layer of vegetable mould is spread, and on which a luxuriant vegetation has 
sprung up. The river, in washing against these deposits, has in some places formed nearly perpendi- 
cular banks, about six to eight feet high. At one spot, about two feet below the surface, several 
rounded holes were observed ; and the dog tried in vain to enter them. After carefully scenting the 
ground, he began to scratch the surface with his paws, and soon succeeded in widening the entrance 
sufficiently to admit his body ; and he immediately afterwards emerged with the bird in his mouth. 
There is no doubt, in my own mind, that this hole, at least, had been excavated ; and the burrowing- 
faculty of the bird may be considered so far established. On a flat, in the valley of the Makarora, 
the dog brought one from the interior of a hollow drift-tree, which was lying amongst sedges and 
grasses in an old river-channel. There was never more than one individual in the hole, although very 
often within twenty or thirty yards of it another specimen would be scented out by the dog, the two 
being generally of opposite sexes. At night-time, in visiting our camp-fire, they generally came in 
pairs, the two being successively caught by my dog, a single or sometimes a repeated angry growl 
from the bird informing us that he had hold of it. These circumstances lead me to conclude that 
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