The anti-monopolist. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1874-1878, 1877-11-01
PHYSIC4L CURIOSITIES.

This is funny world, and the more
it is investigated the more surprising
are the revelations that greet us.
There are fish that fly; birds that live
like fish and cannt fly; fish that shoot
drops Of water through long nose
and kill insects on the surrounding
beeches; other fish that carry an cleo
trio battery in their bodies; still 9th
ers that roll themselves up in balls Of
mud and lie in the bed of dried up
straws until the spring floods come
again; and still other fish that climb
trees. And now we have an account
OF a fish that walks and has feathersi
Here it is
An exceedingly rare and curious fish
has been added to the attractions at
the New York Aquarium. The name
by which it is known is that Of walk
ing-fsh, from the peculiar develope-
ment of the two pectoral fins, showing
end elbow and rays corresponding ex-
actly to the hand and arm ola man.
Upon these fins it sometimes propels
itself, or walks on land several miles
at time. It is small fish, not over
six inches long, but of very odd
shape and it's colors are yellow, mixed
with brown and black. while from it's
sides, at regular intervals, protrude
yellow tufts of a filmy substance that
very much resemble feathers. Nat
uralists know but little concerning
the habits or family of this remarka-
h1n f1ch opd FROM, re- avfrop,a
the probabilities are that another will
not be shown in this city.
And here is on account of curious
parrOtt with wings but unable to use
them
A bird which stands absolute alone,
without a relation in the world, is the
kakopO, or ground parrot, the largest
Of all the parrott tribe, being upward
OF two feet in length. 1t has much of
the owl in it's appearance and habits.
The small face is very Owl-like, and
it is the only parrott which, like the
owl, has facial disk of feathers. It
is strictly nocturnal in it's habits, and
it's beautifully mott ed gxeen plumage
so perfectly harm onizes with the
green MOSES on which it feeds that if
it should be accidentally surprised
outside the hollow trees or burrows
in which during the day it secretes it.
self, it is impossible to detect it. A
colonist told me that one occasion, in
the early morning, he heard the note
of the kakopO, and marked the spot.
He carefully quartered the ground
with his eye. for he was certain the
bird could not have escaped from the
little plot OF moss. He stood watch
ing for half an hour, but could not de-
tect it, until at length it incautionsly
winked it's eye, and he found the bird
had been all the while within two
yards of his feet. Even then, he said,
had he taken his eye off for a moment
he should have lost trace of it. The
kakopo like many other birds, of New
Zealand, has no power Of flight; but,
unlike other fightless birds, has fully
developed and well formed wings,
with good pinion feathers. How
should it have wings which it cannot
use? On examining the muscles, it
has been found that, though fully de-
velOped, they are mere masses of fat,
without any strength of power. Here
we have a clear inst. nee of long cOn-
tinued desease of an unnecessary or
gan ending in inability to use it. The
MOSES cover the grol nd and the roots
or bodies of PROSTATE trees require to
be sought for on foot: and to a night
feeding bird in a country where there
are no beasts Of prey, flight was a SUI
perfiuOus eXertiOn. Anatomically
there is no reason why kakopo
should not be as good fiyer.as any
other parrott.--Good Words.