The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1884-09-04

feather, the color of the barb of which
was chestnut red, the rounded portion
OF the tip being white. An old Maori
at Port Nicholson, being asked had he
ever seen a Mos, replied; Eyes, he
had seen the last one that had been
heard OF, and on being questioned,
described it as very large bird, with
a neck like that of a horse.
Though the Moa seems quite large
enough for all purposes, there existed
at the same time, If we may believe the
evidence of remains found with them,
bird of prey-a gigantic eagle that
could have carried off the largest Moa.
This roc-like creature was the harpa-
gornis.
Perhaps the most interesting ques-
ton IN regard to these huge birds is
that of their extinction. Mr.. B. S.
Booth member of the New Zealand
Institute, has paid much attention to
the subject and has thrown much light
upon it. One of the most remarkable
OF his discoveries of the remains of these
giants was in what is known as the Moa
swamp at Hamilton, New Zealand.
The bones were deposited principally in
the northeastern part of the lagoon, in
space exactly the shape of half
moon, forty feet from point to point.
eighteen feet across the center, and
ranging from two to four feet deep.
He estimates that nearly seven tons
OF bones were taken out of this small
space, most oS which were badly de-
composed, and that the number of in
dfvidual birds could not have been less
than four hundred The bones lay in
every imaginable place and position.
A great quantity of quartz gravel and
smooth pebbles occurred among the
bones, and in the shallowest part of the
deposit, under pelves or breast bones
that had not been disturbed, they lay
in heaps and lunches There was no
gravel in the lagoon, except among the
bones, and no small gutter or water
course could befound by which it might
have come in. The only apparent ex-
PLANTATION of the presence of the pebbles
is that they were brought there in the
gizzards of the great birds This theo-
ry is supported by numerous instances
where similar Moa bones have been
found over such deposits. In the swamp,
that seemed veritable graveyard for
these extinct feathered giants, the top
bones were in by far the best condition,
and, curiously enough, there were a
large number that had been broken,
wounded and healed. There were no
bones found here of young birds, nor
fragments of eggs. Mr.. Booth shows
that the remains could not have been
deposited by running water, neither
could the Moas have been surrounded
and driven in there in such numbers by
sweeping fires; they could not have been
begged, certainly not the latter ones
with two or three feet of solid bone un-
| der them; and that the bodies were not
| thrown there by savages, is shown be-
| yond doubt, as not a trace of their
work is found, not hacked or
scratched bone or implement or trinket
of any kind The real cause of their
extinction, in the mind of the distin-
| guished investigator is, that in the first
place, their disappearance was at a
much earlier date than is commonly
supposed, and was caused by the grad,
ual lowering of the temperature until
the warmth of the earth and air was
not sufficient to hatch the eggs
from which time they gradually
declined until they totally disap-
| peared When the frost and snow
began to set in, the Moa, on account o.
its great size, could not find shelter
like smaller birds, hence it would selec
the places where it found the mos
warmth. The springwater in the bone
pit being far above freezing point (ir
fact, it may have been therma
spring., became natural refuge which
would in some degree relieve thei
suffering. Thus the period when fros
and snow set in. Mr.. Booth places a.
the beginning of the deposit of bones il
the pit The accumulation would have
been very gradual, perhaps through
centuries, and the periodical deposits
would only have increased at the sam,
rate as the frost and snow. This pro
cess continuing until not even in the
most favored places their eggs could be
Matched, the race ended. THIS is prob
ably the true primary cause of thu
extinction of these giant birds.-N. Y
Post.