Ingrid McIntire, age 10, of Haggerstown, Md., for her question:

HOW BIG IS THE KIWI BIRD?

A bird that lives in the forests of New Zealand is called the kiwi. The birds are shy and usually run away when anyone starts to come near them, so they are seldom seen by humans. But we know they grow to be about the size of chickens and they cannot fly.

The kiwi has a stocky body covered with shaggy, dull brown feathers. Its neck and legs are short and its bill is long and flexible.

The kiwi has no tail and its wings are tiny and useless. It is the only bird that has nostrils at the tip of its bill. It uses the nostrils to smell food in the thick, wet forest where it lives.

At night the kiwi feeds on earthworms, insects and berries. During the day it hides.

The female lays one or two very large white eggs in a hole in a bank. The male sits on the eggs for 75 days (until they hatch).

The term "kiwi" is a nickname for a New Zealander. It is also used for a member of an air service who is confined to ground duty.