The roots of many New Zealand trees growing partly above ground, holes are common under them ; but
where the Kakapo is found many of the holes appeared to have been enlarged, although no earth was ever
found thrown out near them. There were frequently two openings to these holes, and occasionally, though
rarely, the trees over them were hollow for some distance up.
“ The only occasion on which the Kakapo was seen to fly was when it got up one of these hollow trees
and was driven to an exit higher up. The flight was very short, the wings being scarcely moved; and the
bird alighted on a tree at a lower level than the place from whence it had come, but soon got higher up by
climbing, using its tail to assist it.
“ Except when driven from its holes, the Kakapo is never seen during the day, and it was only by the
assistance of dogs that we were enabled to find it.
“ Before dogs became common, and when the bird was plentiful in inhabited parts of the islands, the
natives were in the habit of catching it at night, using torches to confuse it. It offers a formidable resistance
to a dog, and sometimes inflicts severe wounds with its powerful claws and beak. At a very recent period
it was common all over the west coast of the middle island, but there is now a race of wild dogs said to
have overrun all the northern part of this shore, and to have almost extirpated the Kakapos wherever they
have reached. Their range is said to be at present confined by a river or some such physical obstruction,
and it is to be feared that if they once succeed in gaining the stronghold of the Kakapo (the S.W. end of
the island) the bird may soon become extinct.
“ During the latter half of February and the first half of March, whilst we were amongst the haunts of these
birds, we found young ones in many of the holes, frequently only one, never more than two, in the same
hole. In one case where there were two young ones I found also an addled egg. There was usually, but
not always, an old bird in the same hole with the young ones.
“ They build no nest, but simply scrape a slight hollow amongst the dry dust formed of decayed wood.
The young were of different ages, some being nearly fully fledged, and others covered only with down. The
egg is white and about the size of a pigeon’s, two inches and an eighth long by one inch and nine-sixteenths
broad.
“ The cry of the Kakapo is a hoarse croak, varied occasionally by a discordant shriek when irritated or
hungry. The Maories say that during winter they assemble together in large numbers in caves, and at the
times of meeting, and, again before dispersing to their summer haunts, that the noise they make is perfectly
deafening.
“ A good many young ones were brought on board the ship alive. Most of them died a few days
afterwards, probably from want of sufficient c a re ; some died after being kept a month or two, and the legs
of others became deformed after they had been a few weeks in captivity. The cause of the deformity was
supposed to be the want of proper food, and too close confinement. They were fed chiefly on soaked bread,
oatmeal and water, and boiled potatoes. When let loose in a garden they would eat lettuces, cabbages and
grass, and would taste almost every green leaf that they came across. One, which I brought within six
hundred miles of England (when it was accidentally killed), whilst at Sydney, ate eagerly of the leaves of a
Banksia and several species of Eucalyptus, as well as grass, appearing to prefer them all to its usual diet
of bread and water. It was also very fond of nuts and almonds, and during the latter part of the homeward
voyage lived almost entirely on Brazilian ground-nuts.
“ On several occasions the bird took sullen fits, during which it would eat nothing for two or three days
at a time, screaming and defending itself with its beak when any one attempted to touch it. It was at all
times of an uncertain temper, sometimes biting severely when such a thing was least expected. It appeared
to be always in the best humour when first taken out of its box in the morning, hooking on eagerly with its
upper mandible to the finger held down to lift it out. As soon as it was placed on the deck it would attack
the first object which attracted its attention—sometimes the leg of my trowsers, sometimes a slipper or a
boot. O f the latter it was particularly fond; it would nestle down upon it, flapping its wings and showing
every symptom of pleasure. It would then get up, rub against it with its sides, and roll upon it on its back,
striking out with its feet whilst in this position.
“ One of these birds, sent on shore by Capt. Stokes to the care of Major Murray of the 65th Regiment
at Wellington, was allowed to run about his garden, where it was fond of the society of the children,
following them like a dog wherever they went.
“ Nearly all the adult Kakapos which I skinned were exceedingly fat, having a thick layer of oily fat or
blubber on the breast which it was very difficult to separate from the skin. Their stomachs contained a
pale green, sometimes almost white, homogeneous mass, without any trace of fibre in it.
“ There can he little doubt but that their food consists partly of roots (their beaks are usually more
or less covered with indurated mud), and parly of the leaves and tender shoots of various plants. At one
place where the birds were numerous we observed that the young shoots of a leguminous shrub growing by
the banks of a river were all nipped off, and this was said by our pilot, who had frequented these places for
many years in a whaling vessel, to be the work of the Kakapo.
“ Their flesh is white, and is generally esteemed good eating.”
I have also been kindly favoured with the following notes on this bird by His Excellency Sir George Grey,
late Governor of New Zealand and now Governor of the Cape of Good Hope:—
“ The Strigops is called Kalca-po or Night Kaka by the aborigines of New Zealand, from the nocturnal
habits of the bird. During the day it remains hid in holes under the roots of trees or rocks ; or, very rarely,
perched on the houghs 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 sunset it becomes lively, animated
and playful, issues forth from its retreat and feeds on grass, weeds, vegetables, fruits, seeds and roots: when
eating grass it rather grazes than feeds, nibbling the grass in the manner of a rabbit or wombat. It
sometimes climbs trees, but generally remains upon the ground, and only uses its short wings for the
purpose of aiding its progress when running, balancing itself when on a tree or in making a short descent,
half-jump, half-flight from a higher to a lower bough. When feeding, if pleased with its food, it makes a
continued grunting noise: it is a greedy bird and choice in its food, showing an evident relish for anything
of which it is fond. It cries repeatedly during the night with a noise not very unlike that of the Kaka, but
not so loud.
“ The Kakapo is a very clever and intelligent bird, in fact singularly s o ; contracts a strong affection for
those who are kind to it, shows its attachment by climbing about and rubbing itself against its friend, and
is eminently a social and playful b ird; indeed, were it not for its dirty habits, it makes a far better pet than
any other bird with which I am acquainted; for its manner of showing its attachment, by playfulness and
fondling, is more like that of a dog than a bird.
“ It builds in holes under trees and rocks, and lays two or three white eggs, about the size of a pullet’s, in
the month of February; and the young birds are found in March.
“ At present, 1854, the bird is known to exist only in the middle island of New Zealand, on the west
coast, between Chalky Harbour and Jackson’s Bay, and in the northern island about the sources of the
Whangarie, and in part of the Taufa countries. It was, within the recollection of the old people, abundant
in every part of New Zealand, and they say that it has been exterminated by the cats introduced by
Europeans, which are now found wild and in great numbers in every part of the country; they say also
that the large rat, introduced from Europe, has done its part in the work of destruction.
“ The natives assert, that when the breeding season is over the Kakapo lives in societies of five or six in
the same hole; and they also state that it is a provident bird, and lays up in the fine season a store of fern
root for the bad weather. I have had five or six of these birds in captivity, but never succeeded in keeping
them alive for more than eighteen months or two years. The last I had I sent home as a present to the
Zoological Society, but I am informed it died off Cape Horn.”