The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1883-06-15
ao(eckln orrallis 6azet'e..
BIRDS OF BTGONE AGES.
Pigeons as Large as Ostriches-E0qs 1he
Would Hold Several Gallons.

BIRDS OF BTGONE AGES.
Pigeons as Large as Ostriches-E0qs That
Womld Hold Several Gallons.
IFrom the New York sun.l
Prof Marsh says: cit is now gen.
orally admitted by biologists who have
made a study of vertebrates that the
birds have come down to us through the
dinosaurs, and the close affinity of the
latter with recent struthlous birds will
scarcely be questioned.
Such are some of these bird-like Great
ures~ that, perhaps twenty feet high,
wandered over the shoals of oIlr neigh
boring State of Connecticut. Kansas,
not whit behind, produces birds with
characteristics SO remarkable that they
would hardly be believed ia were not
the evidences before us. When first
discovered they were thought to be fish
IS Others considered them reptiles, but
it-remained for scientific men to prove
them actually birds. Tue backbone is
like that in fishes, while the jaws are
armed with teeth, and their powerful
wings and formidable teeth would clear
ly seem to indicate creature capable OF
prolonged fight, and Of carnivorous
discovered is the hesperornis. 1t is a
gigantic diver, and the jaw is set with
a deep inferior groove, thickly lined
with sharp-pointed teeth. The teeth
have acute crowns, covered with enamel
and supported on stout fangs. The ex-
ternal appearance of the poemaxillanes
seems to indicate that these bones were
covered with horny bill, as in modern
birds. The wings are rudimentary.
Other birds have been found similar to
these that were six feet high.
But it remains for New Zealand, 10
thoroughlyriva Connecticut in its Bird
production. The gigantic moa comes
from there. Descriptions of it seem
now like tales of the Arabian Nights, in
which the roc figures. They grew to a
height of eighteen feet, were wingless,
and their bones were larger than those
of an OK. Their strength must have
been remarkable. Strange to say, the
remains of these monsters were found
in cave, which has been called the
"cave of BIRDS" Not only these Great
ures, but the remains of the Maoris, or
ancient inhabitants, were found with
them, showing conclusively that the
moa is ohe of the few animals that has
become extinct within the memory of
man.
One of the most interesting birds that
has become extinct within the memory
Of man is a monster pigeon, the Didus
aneptus.5 It was an inhabitant of the
Mauritius island, and at the time of its
discovery, in 1898, itwas extremely COM
mon; but so effectually has it been
eradicated that it is now only represent
ed by few pictures of the seventeenth
century, and two heads, foot, a few
feathers, and some of its bones that are
scattered about among the museums of
continental Europe From the pictures
above mentioned and the descriptions of
the early voyagers, it appears that this
giant among pigeons was large, bulky
bird, weighing seventy-five pounds. Its
bill was long and strong, and the upper
part of the mandible was so horny,
arched, hooked and ferocious in appear.
ance that its discoverers for long time
considered it ground vulture. Its body
terminated in a rounded extremity, be-
ing destitute of true tail feathers, having
astuft of plumes to take the place. Those
birds were SO frequent that the Dutch
seamen destroyed them to- obtain the
rounded pebbles that were found i'll their
pouches.
The extinction of animals is supposed
by many writer's to have been caused
by natural catastrophes, and the ease
with which these animals were wiped
out of existence may explain the disap-
pearance of other forms in the early ter
tiary period, in which man, though not
proved to have existed, in all likelihood
did: Fifty years agoa large bird, forty
inches in length, called the area aux,
was occasionally found as far. south as
Boston, and was quite common in the
Arctic regions. To-day not a single
specimen is known to exist in the world,
having become totally extinct, but ty
what means will always remain an en-.
igma.
From Madagascar we have the re-
mains of eggs that were found among
human implements that were a good
lift for two men, and that, after being
cut in two, were probably used as ves-
sells for holding water, their capacity be-
ing several gallons. The hen. that laid
these monster eggs is unknown to sci
ence, but must have been O wonderful
spectacle. Two other birds, the soli-
taire and nazarene. have also become
extinct within the traditions of man.
The former attained weight of forty
FIVE pounds, had feet and beak like a
turkey, but in other respects resembled
the didus above mentioned. The naza-
rene had only three toes, and from its
bones we judge that it. was thrice as
large as the didus. Imagine pigeon,
Or flock of them, as large as an ostrich
with huge hooked bills, waddling along
onshort, stumpy legs covered with scales,