The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1877-12-27
The Surviving Relation of Extinct
Birds.

No remaining birds of New Zealand
equal in interest the weiid-like. kiwis, or
Aptcryx, the wingless relation of the gil
gantic bipeds Of the past. OF the APP
teryx four species are generally recog-
nized-one, nearly extinct, in the North
ern Island, and three in the Southern.
The country was known many years be-
fore the kiwi was noticed by natura ists.
and the first skin brought to England
was exhibited at the Linnean Society in
1881, was at first believed to he an arti-
ticialy formed imrOsture. 1t was not
until the skin had been opened and the
presence of rudimentaIy Wirgs detected
that the fact of so unique a form of Life
was recognized. The different species
vary in bulk. from the size of a duck to
that of small goose. The plumage of
the whole body is of the same character,
and utterly different from that of other
birds. Instead OF springing from the
skin in small tufts the feathers grow like
the hair of mammals, each plume singly.
They are lanceolate, and the tilaments
are merely disunited hairs or barbs, the
shaft terminating in soft point. The
beak::is very long and snipe-like, adapted
for probing the soft ground for earth
worms at night, when alone it ventures
abroad. Perhaps no creature is more de-
fenseless or less capable of adapting it.
self to any change Of the condition of
life. Its only strength is its legs, which
it uses for burrowing with great rapidity,
SO that kiwi confined in an Enclosure
has been known to burrow down for more
than a yard into the hard ground beneath
the fence, and thence up to the surface
outside, and make its escape in a single
night. The egg of the kiwi is larger in
comparison to the parent bird than that
of any other bird. The egg of a mother,
weighing three pounds, will weigh fifteen
and half ounces when filled with water,
and measures five inches by three. The
plain grey and brown plumage of the
different species, and the nocturnal hab-
its of the whole group do not aid in
making them interesting or attractive
birds, for they can seldom be seen, either
in nature or captivity, save coiled up in
ball among ferns or straw. But they are
the last living representatives of the Great
ures that once were the most advanced
type of life. The skeleton is yet more
remarkable than the mere outward form;
the ribs, only nine in number, broad and
flattened like those Of the tortoise; the
wing bones under the skin are two
inches long; no furculum or merry
thought; no flesh on the breast bone,
which is small shield without any keel
or ridge. The vertibra of the neck
strong and massive; the small head and
long, feeble bills the enormous pelvis,
with the great muscular attachments, the
flesh of the bird being all on its back in
stead of on its breast; the huge and dis
proportionate thigh and leg bones, all
call up the idea of creatures not less un-
like the ordinary bird of everyday life,
than the flying reptiles of the same geo.
logical epoch Telegram.
DURING recent thunder storm near
Memphis, Tenn, a negro was severely
kicked by vicious mule, and just as he
was picking himself up, stroke of
lightning hit the mule and killed him
dead on the spot. "Well, dar.' ex-
claimed the NEGRO ssef dis chile hahn I