The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1875-07-08
Gigantic Birds.

Tho American Museum Of Natural His
tory n Central Park, New York, has
secured eight gigantic skeletons Of ex-
tinct species of birds belonging to the
family StruthsonidtR. Five of them repre-
sent as many different species ofthe genus
Dtno,7,ts, and at least one belongs to the
genus Ialapteryr. They were obtained
by DR.. Hart, the Curator Of the Museum
of Christ Church, New Zealand, and were
originally procured in a cave near Moa
Bone Point, on that island. The bones of
this race of colossal birds have been known
to the New zealanders for many genera.
tions back, and have been indiscriminately
called by them bones of the moa, or big
bird. They arc found in recent deposits,
in the sands of the sea-shore, 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 exterminatcd
The first of these huge bones ever OK
hibited to naturalist was shown to Prof.
Owen in 1889. 1t was the bone OF leg,
and he Immediately assigned the bird to
which il 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 ascribcd to
the bird whose structure and habits he de-
scribed with single bone for his guide.
Science named the bird Dinornis (wOndcr-
full 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.
1t is supposed that specimens of the
DinOrnis continued to inhabit New Zca-
land down to the seventeenth if not to the
eighteenth century, while some believe
that even yet living individuals may be
found in the remote wilds of the island.
tinguislcd English geologist, spent con-
siderable time in the interior of New Zca-
land making extensive explorations in the
region OF the mOa-beds, in the hope of
finding a living bird. He was, however,
assured by the natives that the birds had
recently become extinct, although few
generations ago the New Zcalanders had
led upon them. The natives declare,
from traditions handed down to them, that
the birds were stupid, fat and indolcnt;
that they were incapable OF flying, and
lived in forests and mountain Businesses,
feeding on vegetable diet. With this all
the differences deduced from the bones by
comparative anatomists perfectly agree.
The bones are in many instances found
with considerable animal matter and even
with TIE periostcum 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 trachir. 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 d.
nornss giyauteus are like those of the
largest OK, while the spread of the toes is
about eighteen inches by sixteen. Tho
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 reptile
like in the occipital region. One skeleton
in the American Museum is fourteen feet
in height
the moas were dcckcd with gaudy plum
age, and that the great men among
their ancestors were in the habit of wear
ing the heavy, brilliant plumcs of the
birds as ornaments for the head. The
| Apteryr, a genus of birds allied to the
moas, is still native of New Zealand. 1t
is about the size of a goose, and is wing
less. Its bill is very long and slender, and
the bird makes "a remarkable use of it
in supporting itself when it rests. 1t is a
nocturnal bird, and preys on snails, in
sects, etc. The natives call it kiri-kiri,
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 pound daily.