IN FEATHERS AND FUR. 137 
During the day he hides among the rocks, or tree roots, or some 
other snug place, and at night he comes out and prowls around 
after his food. He digs about in the dirt and mud with that handy 
long bill, and eats worms and insects. He is said to attract worms 
to the surface by jumping on the ground, and stamping with his 
feet, for perhaps you know, worms are curious little fellows, and 
any sharp jar of that kind will bring them to the door to see what 
is the matter. 
The feathers of the Apteryx are odd too ; part of the way down 
they are like down, and the rest of the way more like hair. The 
skin is very tough and valuable for making the mantles of the 
chiefs of that country. No common person is allowed to wear 
them. They call the bird Kiwi-Kiwi, and they hunt it at night, 
with torches and spears. It is a good runner, throwing back the 
head and getting over the ground at a great rate of speed. 
He wears a suit of chestnut brow r n, and he grows to be two 
feet high. 
Mr. Wood tells of one that is kept in the London Zoological 
Gardens. During the day it hides behind the straw in its cage, 
and can only be brought out by force. It will not stay a minute, if 
it can help it, but will run back and hide. In the same place are 
shown some of the eggs of the Apteryx. They are about one- 
fourth of the weight of the mother bird, which of course, is very 
large for eggs. 
It is said that this bird is very much attached to its mate. 
The one that is kept in London is fed with worms, which are 
bought by the thousand ; it will eat more than a quart a day. It 
has a habit when tired of leaning on its bill like a cane, and droll 
enough it looks in that position, like a little old man with a feather 
coat on. 
I said he was wingless. He has some sort of a stump in the 
place of a wing — which some w r riters say is armed with a hooked 
claw — but nothing that he can use as wings, and he never makes 
the least attempt to fly. 
