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adult birds contained in its ovary a large bunch of undeveloped eggs, up to the size of buck-shot, 
whilst, as stated on page 314, a recently captured bird which 1 had, many years ago, at Wanganui, 
produced a fully matured egg on the 22nd March. 
One of the nests found by us contained a young bird and an egg (an unusually large one, and 
from its white appearance evidently newdy laid), another contained a single young bird, and two 
others contained each two young ones. All of them, with a solitary exception, were active and strong, 
snapping angrily with their little bills and attempting to strike with their feet. The exception 
referred to could not have been hatched out very long because it was too weak to rirn, and, after the 
manner of young nestlings, had an abnormally large stomach. It is evident that the bird usually lays 
tw'o eggs ; occasionally, however, there is only one, and Mr. Cheeseman informs me of two well- 
authenticated instances of three eggs in the nest, one in the Waitakerei Eanges and the other at 
Raglan. In both cases the eggs were brought to the Auckland Museum and the fact vouched for to 
his satisfaction. 
The natives state that the Kiwi begins to lay in August, which is quite likely to be true, as the 
eggs must take a long period to incubate. It will be remembered that Mr. Bartlett’s bird (mentioned 
on page 314) sat on perseveringly from the beginning of January to the 25th of April, In further 
support of this view I may mention the following circumstance. Among the live birds brought from 
Pirongia was a female which appeared to be carrying a well-developed egg in the oviduct, inasmuch 
as it moved about with awkwardness and habitually rested on the tarsus horizontally as described at 
page 314. She was more untractable than the other birds, attacking the hand when approached, 
striking savagely forward with her feet, and uttering at the same time a low growl. This bird was killed 
by an accident about the middle of February following ; and on dissection I found a membranous egg, 
about two thirds the full size, the shell not having yet formed. In the ordinary course a fortnight 
would probably have elapsed before the exclusion of the egg for incubation. Again, among the birds 
captured by my party there were three young birds of the year ; that is to say, of such a size as to 
make it probable they had been hatched out about April or May. If the conclusion thus pointed to 
is the true one, the nesting-operations of the Kiwi must extend over a great portion of the year ; in 
which case its reproduction is not the least interesting feature in the natural history of this anomalous 
bird. In all the eggs I opened (save one freshly laid) there was enclosed with the well-developed 
feathered chick a tough membranous sac, connected with the embryo and containing several ounces 
of yellow fatty substance (vitellus). When all this adipose matter has been absorbed into its system, 
the chick, having in the meantime expanded to its full size, cracks its tabernacle and comes out into 
the world ready for active service. It is very soon able to forage for itself and increases rapidly 
in size, inasmuch as the young which I attempted to rear had more than doubled their size in six 
months. 
The eggs, which are broadly elliptical in form, vary somewhat in size. The largest of those 
collected by us measured 5-30 inches in length by 3-30 in breadth ; and the smallest 4-5 by 2-7. The 
latter weighed exactly IIJ ounces, being just four ounces less than the weight of our largest. Two 
other eggs of full size weighed respectively 14 oz. and 15 J oz. They vary likewise in form, some 
being more elliptical than others, whilst one in my possession is perfectly oval. Some are pure white 
when laid, others have a greenish-grey tint ; but owing to the long period of incubation they get much 
soiled by contact with the bird, and more especially its feet, the shell becoming a dirty yellowish- 
brown colour. This is easily washed off, by the application of a brush, in soap and cold water ; but I 
think it is necessary to do this whilst the egg is fresh, for there is a greasy matter on the surface 
which would no doubt make the discoloration permanent if allowed to become perfectly dry. The 
fresh egg on being emptied of its contents exhibited a delicate pink tint on the inner surface of the 
shell ; but this was absent in those containing chicks. 
2 T 
VOL. II. 
