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The Huia.
(Heteralocha gouldi.)
This species is remarkable for the extraordinary difference in the shapes of the beaks of the male and female birds. The bill of the male Huia is stout, strong and straight, while that of the female is slender and curved. This bird inhabits the forest country of New Zealand, where it feeds on the grubs of the hu-hu beetle, a species which burrows in decaying trees. The male with his strong beak chisels out the wood, while the female with her long slender bill extracts the grubs from the holes he makes. When the female meets with difficulties the male comes to her rescue, and vice versa - a most interesting example of co-operation in nature.