the kiwi 
69 
the kind of day when the cicada is heard at its 
loudest. Its call is then a loud and somewhat ha . 
note rather than a shrill whistle. 
“ir., oe a high-born native of Tahiti, repute to 
be the first human being who ever set foot mNew 
Zealand since the dawn of histo v, 
arrival of Long-Tailed Cuckoos from the sou h 
when he was on a visit to Rarotonga. Soon alter 
wards a tribal war caused him to leave this island 
and he decided that he would attempt to disc 
this unknown southern land front which the 
had migrated. After a hazardous journey in a sma 
canoe, he arrived at the North Cape of New Zea¬ 
land about 1,000 years ago. It was kupe who gat e 
this country the distinctive name Aotea-roa the 
Land of the Long White Cloud.” 
THE KIWI 
SONG_A loud whistling cry with an ascending 
slur—seldom heard in the day-time. 
DESCRIPTION—Upper parts, dark brown, 
slightly glossy. Under parts, greyish brown. Bill, 
white, long and curved. Legs, dark brown, thic 
and strong. No wings ’and no tail. 
FOOD—Grubs and worms. 
NEST_In or under a fallen hollow tree, or under 
the roots of a large tree. Usually only one egg, 
but occasionally two—very large, three times as 
large as a duck’s egg—one of Nature s wonders. 
(See pp. 43, 46.) 
HABITS—Several unusual ones. The male bird 
hatches the egg, the female bringing him food dur- 
