The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1885-07-04
MAMMOTH BIRDS.
Some Whese Height Equaled the
Tallest Living Animal.
Horses Killed by Birds Whose Speed Is
As Great As the Fastest Express
Train-Gigantic Flying and
Running Birds.

Horses Killed by Birds Whose Speed Is
As Great As the Fastest Express
Train-Gigantic Flying and
Running Birds.
Ornithology, 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-
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 SIN lar to hop
skip-and-jump method; some are high
flyers; some are unable to lift them
selves off the ground by the ngs
Birds sneeze. snore, snooze talk, chirp,
cry, whistle, yell, lark, hiss moan,
grow, 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 natural-born sing
ers. Some are beaut ful as the most
beautiful thought of an innocent child.
while others are so homely that they
would Brighten "scarecrown to death.
Some have no necks, no legs, no b lis,
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 contormat ons and (seem-
ing) malconformation of the two hun
dred and fifty b rds enumerated by
scientists But we coniine this article
to those members of the bird fam "
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
than the ostrich. and, next to it, the
largest living bird. Its head is armed
with kind of helmet of horny SUBJ
stance. consisting of plates overlapping
each other, 1t is timorous or shy
bird, and runs 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 adj
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 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 surpass
horses in speed upon the sandy plains
where it is found. 1t lives upon gram
and vegetables, and is noted for swal-
lowing on larger scale than any other
birds of its kind bits of stone, wood.
and even metallic substances, etc. to
aid digestion. The pumes of the os-
trch are highly priced as ornaments.
The bird is native of Africa and
Arabia. Many horse has been killed
by 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 the
fragments in 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
claw about an inch in length, and it
is with this claw they strike. He is the
tallest bird extant. 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.
1t is not classed AMONG the tall birds,
standing only about five feet in its
stockings; but the solid and massive
structure of its feet makes the dinorn
elephantopes one of the most remark
able specimens among the bird family.
1t was wingless, so that it never ap-
peared in the air. Its large feet were
only the continuation of legs, which
We're 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.
GALLINCULA GIGANTEA.
This bird was member of the rail-
or ''st'lt' family. 1t was seen as late
as 100 on the Mascarene Islands. 1t
was of an elegant shape and without
wings. Possessing five great long toes,
it resembled the Tacoma in appearance.
1t stood six feet in height The natives
relished this bird as food to that extent
tho snaniaa a
same as the once famous dodo. which
was also an extremely ungainly-look-
ing and (seemingly) awkward rd.
PALAPTERYx INGENS.
This bird was an extremely awkward
appearing fowl. Palapteryx means
''ancient wingless bird" 1t was one
OF three genera of the moa family. 1t
possessed four toes, and was not so tall
as our ostrich. 1t stood six to eight
feet high. 1t is called wingless, but it
possessed small, useless, rudimentay
wings. which were worn more as an
ornament than anything else. The
Vienna Museum has a plaster model of
the skeleton of this species The en-
tire cast occupies that position of equil-
ibrium which must have been natural
to the bird when balancing its enor-
nous body upon its great feet.
GAsToRNIs PARIsIENsIs.
This name was given to this fossil
bird in honor of the discoverer. Mr.
CASTOR Plante. of sunny France, in
1855. The gastornis belonged to the
order of waders, being supplied with
stout. long legs. 1t was a swimmer
also, like the swan. Bareheaded it
stood about as high as our modern os-
trich, varying from six to nine feet. 1t
is placed among the gigantic birds not
SO much because of its height as on
account of its enormous body. 1t was
as large as our modern COW or horse.
While it was a swimmer and wader it