O WL-PARROT 
*37 
A specimen in the London Zoological Gardens remained quiet and drowsy during 
the daytime, and only became lively and inclined to feed towards evening. It 
never attempted to perch, always remaining on the floor of its cage. Its cry was 
a sharp monotonous whistle; and its food consisted of corn and young shoots of 
grass. The flesh of both species of ground-parraquets is said to be delicate and well 
flavoured. 
The Owl-Parrot. 
Family StbiNGOPID^E. 
From the practical absence in those islands of indigenous mammalian life, 
many of the birds of New Zealand have more or less completely lost the power of 
flight, owing to the disuse of their wings; and among these flightless species is a 
very remarkable member of the present order—the owl-parrot, or kakapo ( Stringops 
liabroptilus), which is not only the representative of a distinct genus but likewise 
of a separate family. This bird is distinguished from the other members of the 
order by the rudimentary condition of the keel of the breast-bone or sternum ; and 
likewise by the radiating disc of feathers around the eye, which communicates 
the characteristic owl-like appearance to the head. The beak is thick and swollen 
on the sides, with no notch; and the nostrils open in a much inflated cere. The 
wings are short and rounded, with the fourth, fifth, and sometimes the sixth 
primaries the longest; and the tail is also comparatively short, with its extremity 
rounded, but the individual feathers pointed. The metatarsus is somewhat 
•elongated, the nails moderately long, and the whole plumage rather soft. 
The ground-parrot is a somewhat large bird, attaining a total length of 
about 24 inches, 9 of which are occupied by the tail. The general colour of 
the plumage of the upper-parts is sap-green, each feather having a median 
yellow line margined with black, from which spring irregular black rays. The 
feathers of the front and sides of the head are, however, pale umber-coloured, 
with median lines of yellowish white; and those of the wings and tail are mainly 
brownish buff, variously mottled with black and lemon-yellow. Beneath, the 
prevailing tint is greenish yellow, tinged with lemon-yellow, and with somewhat 
similar dark markings. 
Although formerly distributed over the whole of New Zealand, the kakapo 
is now confined to the North Island and the northern half of the South Island; 
its semi-fossilised remains being found in association with those of the extinct moas. 
From many parts of the country it has been recently exterminated, and is rare in 
most regions, and mainly restricted to mountainous regions, and it is probably 
doomed to extinction at no very distant date. Many accounts of the habits of this 
interesting bird have been given, from among which we select the following from 
the pen of Sir George Grey. This observer writes that during the day the 
kakapo “ remains hid in holes under the roots of trees or rocks, or very 
rarely perched on the boughs of trees with a very dense thick foliage. 
At these times it appears stupid from its profound sleep, and if disturbed 
or taken from its hole, immediately runs and tries to hide itself again, 
delighting, if practicable, to cover itself in a heap of soft dry grass; about 
