Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1885-07-10

40 NAO0o <Ao Ao 0oOSo ANkASC
,Train-Gigantic Flying and
Running Birds.
ORTHODOXY, or the science of birds,
is one Of the most interesting studies
aside from that of our own kind.
There are some two hundred and fifty
distinct varieties of the bird family.
Among this number are birds of all
sizes, from the tiny humming-bir
found only in America to the gigantic
birds of the preadamic ages. There are
birds which have no wings to speak of.
but travel through life by a sort of To-
comotion somewhat similar to a hop
skip-and-jump method; some are high
flyers; some are unable to lift them
selves of the ground by their wings.
Birds sneeze, snore, snooze, talk, chirp.
cry, whistle, yell, lark, hiss, moan.
growl, screech, coo, boot, and some
have no voice at all. Some can swim,
and some can not endure water. Some
birds are able to initiate delightful
tunes, and others are n%atural-born sing
ers. Some are beautiful as the most
beautiful thought of an innocent child.
while others are so homely that they
would brighten a ''scarecrow' todeath.
Some have no necks, no legs, no bills,
no tails, no teeth; and, per contra,
some have great long legs, great long
necks, long bills. Some have toes and
some have none
So we might go on, but we will have
to stop, for the dispositions and moods
of mankind are not more numerous
than are the contormations and (seem-
1ng) INSTRUMENTATION of the two hum
dred and fifty birds enumerated by
scientists. But we coniine this article
to those members of the bird family
who have claimed notoriety because of
their largeness or extreme height. First
to be mentioned is the
cAssowARY.
This bird is. in general outline, like
the ostrich. 1t is shorter and stouter
largest living bird. Its head is armed
with a kind Of helmet of horny sub
stance. consisting of plates overlapping
each other, 1t is a timorous or shy
bird, and run with great rapidity. 1t
possesses no tail, only small wings. and
has three very large, flexible toes. 1t
stands from six to eight feet in height.
1t is a native of Malacca, Java and ad-
jacent islands. Next on the list comes
the largest living bird known, the
OSTRICH.
The ostrich is a large bird, often
growing ten feet high, having a long
and nearly bare neck, stout, long legs.
with only two toes; has but short
wings, with long, soft plumes in the
place of feathers. 1t is well formed
for running, and is said to D
horses in speed upon the sandy plains
where it is found. It lives upon grain
and vegetables, and is noted for swal-
lowing on a larger scale than any other
birds of its kind bits of stone, wood,
and ever metallic substances, ETC., to
aid digestion. The plumes of the os-
tr.ch are highly priced as ornaments.
The bird is a native of Africa and
Arabia. Many a horse has been killed
by a single kick from one of these
birds. They are the greatest kickers
in the world. Those in confinement
will frequently kick the pickets of their
Enclosures into splinters, scattering tho
fragments in a lively manner directly
in front of them. They kick forward
like the male member of the human
family. At the end of the longer toe is
aclaw about an inch in length, and it
is with this claw they strike. He is the
tallest bird eNtant, as the camelopard
is the tallest animal among the quad
rupeds.
DINORNIs ELEPHANTOPES.
This queer bird was one of the mon
strosit:es of the long ago. There are a
few birds now which resemble, in some
particulars, this big-legged specimen.
It is not classed among the tall birds,
standing only about five feet in It's
stockings; but the solid and massive
structure of its feet makes the dinornis
c~lephantopes one of the most remark
able specimens among the bird family.
1t was wingless, so that it never APP
peared in the air. Its large feet were
only the continuation of legs, which
were also of enormous size. The toe
bones of this species were nearly as
large as those of an elephant. The
skeleton of one of these wonderful birds
stands side by side with one of the
great mastodon of Ohio in the British
Museum.
G~ALLINCULA GIGANTEA.
This bird was a member of the 'rnil''
or ''stilt'' family. 1t was seen as late
as 1900 On the Mascarene Islands. 1t
was of an elegant shape and without
wings. Possessing five great long toes,
it resembled the Tacoma in appearance.
It stood six feet in height. The natives
relished this bird as food to that extent
the species soon became extinct, the
same as the once famous dodo, which
was also an extremely ungainlylook-
ing and (seem;ngly) awkward bird.
PALAPTERYX INGENs.
This bird was an extremely awkward
appearing fowl. Palapteryx means
%.'ancient winglcss bird" 1t was one
OF three genera of the moa family. 1t