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rudimentary^ and are entirely concealed by tbe plumage of the body : in a bird of the largest size the 
humerus measures only 2 inches^ and the cuhitus 1-25. At the extremity of the latter there is a slender 
claw or spur, like a twisted piece of wire in appearance, bluish black in colour, and varying in length from 
half an inch to I'l, being generally more largely developed in the female. The tubes of the quills in a full- 
grown specimen are 1-25 of an inch in length, and T of an inch in diameter in their thickest part. In the 
fully adult bird the scales covering the tarsi and toes are closely set with overlapping edges, and are perfectly 
smooth ; in the young they are soft and detached, presenting a reticulated surface. The feathers are lanceo- 
late and composed externally of long disunited harbs or filaments ; the downy portion towards the roots is 
very largely developed, and far exceeds in extent the exposed or hairy portion. They are destitute of the 
accessory plumule so highly developed in some of the struthious birds, for example in the Emu and Casso- 
wary ; but the basal or concealed portion of each feather is very fine and silky. Beyond the extremity of 
the barbs the shaft becomes more rigid, and on the upper and hind parts of the body it is produced to a 
sharp point. The development of this structure to such an extent as to render the plumage stiff" and harsh 
to the touch is the character which separates the present species from its near ally Apteryx australis. The 
fore part of the head and sides of the face are beset with straggling hairs or feelers, varying in length from 
1 to 6 inches, and perfectly black. 
A FULL and complete history of the remarkable wingless birds which, even to the present day, form 
the most distinctive feature in the avifauna of New Zealand, would necessarily fill a volume. As, 
however, the osteology and anatomy of these singular forms have already been exhaustively discussed 
by Professor Owen in several able ‘ Memoirs ’ published by the Zoological Society, I do not propose to 
touch on this part of the subject, but rather to confine myself to some account of their life-histoi y ; 
and as the habits of the several species of Apteryx at present known to us appear to be the same in 
almost every respect, I consider it sufficient for my present purpose to record the observations I have 
made on the bird inhabiting the North Island, an excellent portrait of which, from a living bird, is 
given on the foregoing Plate. 
Some six-and- twenty years ago, when residing at AVellington, I received, through the kind offices 
of INIr, Richard Woon, my first live specimens of the Apteryx. They were eight in number, mostly 
females, and all full-grown. Three of these birds having shortly afterwards died, I forwarded them 
in spirits to Professor Owen, to assist him in his examination of the anatomy of this anomalous form. 
The others remained in my possession for a considerable time ; and I was thus afforded a favourable 
opportunity of studying their peculiarities of structure and habit. In the letter forwarding them, 
Mr. Woon gave the following information : — “ They were caught by muzzled dogs in the bosky groves 
and marshes of the Upper Wanganui, at a place called Manganuioteao, about 100 miles from the 
mouth of the river. There are great numbers still to be found in this district. They go together in 
companies of from six to twelve, and make the country resound at night with their shrill cry. 
During my subsequent residence at Wanganui as Resident Magistrate, I had in my possession at 
various times no less than seventeen of these birds, of different ages, and all obtained from the same 
locality, which appears to be one of the last strongholds of the Apteryx in the North Island. In 
former years they were very abundant in the mountainous part of the Ilokianga district, north of 
Auckland ; but according to all accounts they are now comparatively scarce in that part of the country. 
To the present day they linger on some of the small islands in the gulf of Hauraki ; for although so 
singular a fact has often been called in question, resting as it apparently did on the mere assertion of 
the natives, the matter was placed beyond all dispute by Mr. T. Kirk, who obtained several himself 
on the Little Barrier. 
The natives whom I found camping at the foot of the Kaimanawa range in March 1887 assured 
me that the Kiwi was still very plentiful there. About a fortnight before the date of my visit (or 
end of February) they captured a female with a well-grown young one in a hollow log. It may be 
inferred therefrom that this species commences nesting about the beginning of January. 
