Art. XIX.—On the Nesting Habits of the Huia (Heteralocha acutirostris).

By Walter L. Buller, C.M.G. D.Sc., etc.

[Read before the Wellington Philosophical Society, 29th January, 1876.]

Five years ago, I had the honor of placing before this Society a somewhat complete account of the Huia (Heteralocha acutirostris), with special reference to its habits in a state of captivity. This account was reproduced in my “Birds of New Zealand” (p. 63–68), together with such further information as I had been able to collect; and in the introduction to that work (p. 17–18), I gave an exhaustive description of its osteology and anatomy, from the pen of Mr. A. H. Garrod. I was unable, however, to give any information on the nesting habits of this singular bird, beyond what is contained in the following paragraph:—“Of the nidification of the Huia, nothing is at present known. I have been assured, however, by a native, that he once found the nest of this bird in the cavity of a tree; that it contained two young birds (a male and female), and that they differed from the adults in having the wattles flesh-white instead of orange.”

It will be gratifying to lovers of natural history to hear of the recent discovery of a nest of the Huia in the Orongorongo Ranges, near Wellington. A Maori, named Mikaera, who has been a very zealous collector for the Museum, brought to Mr. Buchanan, about the 20th of October last, an egg of this species, which he had taken from a cavity in a dead tree. Observing the old birds passing in and out of the opening, he concluded that there was a nest, and, climbing up, attempted to reach the bottom with his arm; finding it too deep, he cut a yard of “supplejack” (Rhipogonum scandens), and, bending this into a loop, he thrust it down the opening, and by this rude means endeavoured to hoist the contents of the nest. He at length succeeded in bringing up an egg, although in a somewhat broken condition. The egg contained a young bird, apparently just ready for extrusion, and both embryo and shell are now in the collection of the Colonial Museum. The egg is ovoido-conical in form, measuring 1.45 by 1.05-inches, and is of a pale stone-grey, irregularly stained, freckled and speckled with purplish-grey, the markings in some places running into dark wavy lines. The chick is apparently a male; the bill being very stout, with the caruncles at the angles of the mouth well developed, and of a flesh-white colour. The whole of the body is bare, with the exception of what appears (in spirits) to