Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1875-07-02
Gigantfo Birds.


The American Museum Of Natural His
tory In Central Park, New York, has
secured eight gigantic skeletons of ex-
tuct species Of birds belonging to the
family Struflionidq. Five of them repre-
sent as many different species fthe genus
DinoSnis, and at least one belongs TO the
genus PaldptcrNp. They were obtained
by DR. Hart the Curator of the Museum
Of Christ Church, New Zealand, and we're
originally procured in cave near Moa
Bone Point, on that island. The bones Of
this race of colossal birds have been known
10 the New Zcalanders for many genera
tions back, and have been indiscriminately
called by them bones Of the moa, or big
bird. They are found in recent deposits,
in the sands of the sea-shorc, in swamps,
In the soil of forests, in river beds, and in
caves. Being of immense size, they have
been sought with avidity by the natives,
and wrought into various articles for use
In hunting, in fishing and in domestic life,
and have thus been nearly cxterminated.
The first of these huge bones ever cx-
hibited to naturalist was shown TO Prof.
Owen in 1889. 1t was the bone of leg,
and he Immediately assigned the bird to
which it belonged to its true place in the
system of nature. All additional facts
concerning the species that have been
gained by naturalists since have sustained
the characters that Prof. Owen ascribed to
the bird whose structure and habits he de-
scribed with single bone for his guide.
Science named the bird Dinornis (wOnder-
ful bird). A great number of bones of the
Dinornis have since been found, and
several distinct species have been made
out A series of complete skeletons have
also been discovered, including eight
species, the duplicates of which are now
in the American Museum,
Ii is supposed that specimens of the
Dinornis continued to inhabit New Zea.
land down to the seventeenth ifnot to the
eighteenth century, while some believe
that even yet living individuals may be
found in the remote wilds of the island
In 1916 the son of Mr.. Montell, the dis
tinguished English geologist, spent con-
siderable time in the interior of New Zea-
land making extensive explorations in the
region of the moa- beds, in the hope of
finding living bird. He was, however,
assured by the natives that the birds had
recently become extinct, although few
generations ago the New Zealanders had
fed upon them. The natives declare,
from traditions handed down to them, that
the birds were stupid, fat and indolent;
that they were incapable of flying, and
lived in forests and mountain Businesses,
feeding ON a vegetable diet. With this all
the differences deduccd from the bones by
comparative anatomists perfectly agree.
The bones arc in many instances found
with considerable animal matter and even
with the pcriosteum preserved. In some
deep excavations made in an ancient cliff
on the western shore of New Zealand,
near New Plymouth, quantity OF bones
of the largest size were recently brought
to view. Among them were broken egg
shells and rings of the trachi@. In some
fragments of the shells the lining mem.
brane still remained. Some of the bones
that have been found are twice the size of
those of the ostrich. The legs of the Di-
nOrnfs gigdnteuS are like those of the
largest OK, while the spread of the toes is
about eighteen inches by sixteen. The
bones of all these birds are filled with
marrow instead of being hollow, as in
birds calculated for flight. The Uranium
is very small in comparison with the
enormous bulk of the body, and is sreptile-
like in the occipital One skeleton
in the American Museum is fourteen feet
in height
The natives of New Zealand assert that
the moas were decked with gaudy plum
age, and that the great men among
their ancestors were in the habit of wear
ing the heavy, brilliant plumes of the
birds as ornaments for the head. The
Apteryr, genus of birds allied to the
moas, is still a native of New Zealand. 1t
is about the size of goose, and is wing
less. Its bill is very long and slender, and
the bird makes remarkable use of it
in supporting itself when it rests. 1t is
nocturnal bird, and preys on snails, in
sects, etc. The natives call it kiui-kiUi,
and prize it highly for its feathers. The
specimens of the Apteryx in the Geological
Gardens, London, are fed upon minced
mutton and worms, of which each bird
consumes about half a pound daily,