IMPORTANCE OF NEW ZEALAND BIRDS tl 
Other birds incapable of flight are the Notornis 
(said to be perhaps still alive in the strongholds of 
impenetrable bush in the south-west of the South 
Island), the Wekas or large Rails, and the Kakapo 
or Ground-Parrot; whilst everybody has heard of 
the Kiwis. 
That all these birds are flightless is probably due 
to the fact that they never had carnivorous beasts 
to contend with and that New Zealand possessed a 
good climate. 
From a biological standpoint all these birds are 
unique, but there are many others. Take, for 
instance, the following :— 
The Kea, a true parrot, once a berry- and insect- 
eater, is now said to be a devourer of flesh. Many 
theories have been given to explain this bird’s sudden 
change of habits, but the fact remains that it appears 
to molest the sheep. 
The Wry-bill Plover is the only bird in the world 
with a beak to one side. Its bill curves sharply to 
the right, enabling the bird to forage for food under 
stones. In ‘‘A History of Birds’’ Pycraft writes 
that when in search of a meal it invariably walks 
round stones from left to right. The black band 
round its breast is wider on the left side. The bird 
thus becomes invisible by closely resembling its 
surroundings, a very good example of colour 
protection. 
The Huias command great interest, as they are the 
only birds in the world where.the male and female 
have totally different bills. The cock bird’s bill is 
short and slightly curved, that of the hen’s is twice as 
long and acts as a probe. Thus the pair feed, the 
one boring into the decayed bark and digging out 
the larvae, the other probing holes, etc., for the same 
purpose. 
All these birds are one of New Zealand’s greatest 
assets. In her galleries and museums she cannot 
attempt to rival the wonderful art treasures to be 
found at the Louvre in Paris or the British Museum. 
