ON NESTOR NOTABILIS. 
213 
The colour of Nestor Hypopolius or Meridionalis, the longest 
known species, called hy the natives “ Kaka,” is dark brown on 
the neck, back, and chest, the belly and rump being red. 
In Nestor Notabilis the general colour of the back and belly 
is pale olive green, the feathers being bordered with brown ; 
the principal feathers of the wing and tail, bluish green, varied 
with brown and w'hite on the one side of the feather ; the rump 
and inside of the arm, orange. This species is larger than 
Meridionalis. The beak is straighter than in either of the two 
other species, and somewhat reminds one of the beak of a 
Raptorial bird. A living specimen has lately been exhibited in 
the Regent’s Park Gardens, and the newspapers a short time 
ago contained a remarkable account of its habits in its New 
Zealand home. 
It is stated that the beak of Nestor Productus was sometimes 
found covered with earth, as if it had been digging ; but Major 
Andrews’s specimen was fond of vegetables and juicy food, and 
its beak seemed ill fitted for crushing the harder nuts which 
other parrots dispose of easily. 
Should this bird continue to exist and maintain his car- 
nivorous propensities, we might speculate w'hether he might not 
in time, on the principles of evolution, develope into a Raptorial 
bird. 
