, 1875-06-19
SPARKS OF SCIENCE,


/ Tho American AllisCum pl Natural History, In
Central lark, New York, hhA aec,,rcd atght
gigantic skeletons Of extinct spccica of birds 90
longing 10 The family Str"thfontdr. Five OF
them represent az many different rpocicB OF tho
gcuus Dinornis, mud at least ono bolones to tic
gcuus Pdlartervx. Thoy we're obtained Of Dr..
1laast. tho Curator OF the museu.n Of Christ
Church, Now znatand. and wete originally pro-
cured iii cavo near AIoa Done Point, OIL t,as
lsland. Tho honcs OF this race Of colossal birds
lavc bcon known to tho New zcaIan,lers for
many generations back. anl havo bocn indIs.
crlminatcly called bY thcm bones OF tho moa, or
big bird. 1loy ato found In recen. deposits, In
tho eatds Of Tho sca-shoro In Bvamps, ia tic
! soil OF forests, In river bode and In eavcs. Do-
| Ing OF Immense size, they hayo boon aought
with hrillty ty tho natives, and wrought into
TaEsoua articles for uso in bunting, In fishing,
and IN domestic life, and layo thus boon uoarly
| ex!erlninated.
Tho ilrsl Of these hugo bones over exhibited to
naturalist WAS shown to 1'ruf. Owen In 1871
IL "aa tho bouo OF Leg, and no Immediately
assigned tho bird to which II belonged to Its truo
| place In tho aystom OF Nature. All additional
! faeta concerning tho apccoa that havo bocu
| gained W nalnralisla siuco hav0 susta,nod tho
characters that Prof. Owon Ascrlbed to tho birl
| Whoao structure aud habits he described witt,
| single bono for bis guido. Ecienco named Tho
bird Dinornis (wondorful blra). A great num-
Dor Of bonos Of tho Dino1n1s l,avo since been
found, hnd BoveEal dlallncs H},ceios llaYo been
| mAdo OUT. A He.ics OF complete skeletons hayo
also been discovered. Including eight apecieA, tic
lupltoatta Of which arc nov tn tho A,uoIican
MlisNn.n.
Il III supposed tha. hpocinonH OF tho Dinoroig
con!inned to inhabit Now 1eaanl down to tho
! aavantconth, II not so tho eighteenth.
1 EDututY. WtjIn bpthvn thHt
| yot living iniyiduaIa nav he found In
ino remote wilIs Of tho isla,,d. In 18t,;
tho sou Ok MIR. Dlonte1l, Lilo distinguished H.
gllsh geologist, spout consderabIs titno iu tic
Interior of New Heaiaud making exclusive or
pIoratlons iu tho region Of .ho noa. .Jody, in tlo
hopo Of finding living bird. lie was, however.
assured BY the natives iLnt tho tlr.s bad rocsnt.
| y bocomo extinct, although tow generations
nsD tie New ZoaIanders tlad icd upon thutn, rho
/ ,Atiye. den!asa, from traditions handed down to
them. TINT Tie br.ls were atuuld, fae and indo-
lent; shat tl,oy woro incapable OF dying, and
lived III forests aud mountain fattne saas laod,ug
on vegstable dict. viii, tlIs gil the ipfcreuces
deducod from tho bones by comparative auato-
m,sta perfectly agroe.
considerable animal matter, and eyou with TIM
| pvsiosleusn preserved, In boulo 6nsp oIcnyn
tions mnao iu au ancient c1 gu tho weatotn
snofs ,,s o. g." Aoaaoa, nonr NOW plymonth.
comtiv l;,o ono,t ~ riom stIe ms'o r.
b oxen ogg.alot!a and rinea al tic traoniu, Ia
somo fragments Of tito shoIa tile Aniug uael1l-
lFahs STU tomAiuod. soulo of the bonps that
H. os,.in r @ tu +wcn tae a1o " enosa OF
ie,,s ara llho t,ioso of tJn 1arrest ~ S,iin H.,
sproad OF tLa toes ts about Is inches ly lG.
Ilu bones OF oil theHa birds arc llled With iuar-
fo" iueteaa Q! pq!eR nolloW, as u BIRDS ca!cu-
romna.ison ,s,, ,to oorn. .5, y sess W M sa l IN
auu il rcutilo-l1Lo in Inn occiI,itni roini f,no
akoioton In tho AMaricRn Museum, II II feet IN