The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1886-01-01
EviDENCEs OF EvoLUrloN.
Birds Are Llneal Descendants Of Reptiles Of
the Most Hidoous TYNE.

Birds Afe LlneAl Descendants Of Reptiles Of
the Most Aideous Type.
Evolution is q bugbear at which q
great many minds take fright. think.
Ing that 1t attempts to wrest from the
Supreme Being one of His attributes,
That of a creator. Those partly in.
formed regarding the theory, and from
tho nature of the case it can be only u
theory, think evolution teaches that
man descended from baboon or a
chlmpanzec, or was actually one of
these animals. The theory, ofcourse,
does not teach this ut all, but only
that every form of life existing Mt pres
ent is developed or perfected from
some earlier form-as, for instance,
that man and the gorilla are both de-
sccndants of some common progcnitor
probably very unlike either.
In tho absence Of light on tho sub
lcct, 1t requires no more assurance to
say that this reasonable way was God 8
way than to affirm that it was any
other way. The fact that some other
manner has been accepted for long
time us the right one does not make It
right. As the Scriptures do not en-.
Tighten lis one way or another as to
the method of creation, then it seems
lnst rs presuming in us mortals to say
that it was by special acts of creation
as that evolution was Gods plan.
LINEAL DESCENDANTS OF REPTILES.
That the birds as we now have them
are direct descendants of or moditi
cations of the early reptiles every one
who has studied the subject believes
not descendants of any reptile existing
at present, perhaps, but Of some pre-
existing species from which both our
birds and our reptiles have descended.
In fact, the account of creation Civ.
en- in Genesis nearly says so. 1t saws:
.'And God said, Let the water bring
forth abundantly the moving creature
that hath life, and fowl that may tly
above the earth in tho open armament
of heaven
The bcaks of many early birds whose
remains are found in the rocks were of
lizard-like character and bore true
teeth. In our birds they arc greatly
modified, and SO diverse that it formed
the basis of u classification now nearly
gone out of use, the only true and safe
CLASSIFICATION being known as the
morphological one. or that based upon
the form Of the bird, especially of its
skeleton.
The bill classification is very faulty,
as for instance all of the long. thin.
billed birds were put into the same
class. This INCLUDED the humming
bird in the same class as the nut hatch,
birds differing SO materially in form,
habits and skeleton that Il mere tyre
would not think of placing them in
the same order.
Although not q characteristic sulli.
GENTLY distintivc for classification
still the terms used are of value in dc.
scribing birds, and one looking at a
collection with this iL view will be- sur.
priscd ut the great variation III shape.
Each bird has that form of bill hes,
suited to its habits and mode of oh.
tanning livelihood.
WHY THEY DIFFER.
Every one knows the difference be.
tween IL hard and soft bill; the former
for cracking seeds, and the latter fol
eating insects. a glance at the robin
and sparrow or finch bill will show
the distinction. There is also SINH.
larIty between the long bill of the
robin and that of the woodcock OF
snipc. both of which bore into tho
ground for insects. The woodcock,
however, depends entirely upon this
method; consequently its bill is longer,
thinner. and provided with cover.
ing which is very sensitive, SO much So
that it can not bore into any but very
soft earth, and it is by the presence OF
these holes. or "borings," us hunters
call them, that their presence is de-
tected. The bill of the meadow lark
is for the same use, but they also eat
berries and fruit, hence they are pro.
vided with the angle In the beak,
which enables them to swallow quite
large substances.
In Florida and other states where
vegetables are raised in winter, tho
meadow larks spending the winter
there make such havoc upon the peas
and beans that considerable loss is
sustained. They can open Il pea pod
and scoup out the row 0f peas in short
order. A gentleman in Florida who
suffered loss through them, in answer
to the query what bird he liked best
there, answered, ~ like the turkey
buzzard, because he won't eat any.
thing but meat" If he had consider
cd, however, that the larks also cat
,hc insects which destroy his vcgcta.
blcs and orange trees, while the buzz
yards only eats carrion and an coca.
sional chicken, he would find the bal.
ancc of good on the side of the lark.
This same planter heard from a
neighbor that if lie would feed his
chickens strychnia beans it would not
hurt the fowls, but would poison any
bir'! Of prey which would happen to
steal the chicken. He tried it, and
found next to his surprise what?
Dead chickens? No, but dead hawks,
and the chickens rs gay and happy as
ever. The reason probably is that,
being grain caters, the fowls were un-
affected, but as the hawks ate the en-.
trails containing the poison, and be-
ing meat eaters, their digestive sys-
TENS took in the strychnipe, resulting
in death.
MADE TO ORDER
Among the odd notifications of
bills is the cross-biIl. This bird SEEM
ingly would be utterly unable to get
any food whatever, and when first no.
ticcd was thought to have Il dctormity.
but observation of its habits showed
that it lives upon the seeds of pine
cones. and with ITS crooked bill it can
fiirt the seeds out in a way that must
be a source of envy to other birds.
The hook at the end of the bee bird's
bill enables it to snap insects while on
the wing and hold them securely.
The bill is flattcncd and very wide Mt
the base, which also enables 1t to Sc
cure its prey. This family very sci.
dom pick up an insect, but fly through
the air, seize the beetle or fly. and re-
turn to the same limb. Swallows
have the same habits of capturing
prey on the wing, as also does the
whippoorwil The size of the latter's
mouth is marvellous, and besides be-
inga good bug-trap it makes a use of
its mouth which probably no other
bird does. 1t lays one or two eggs,
never more, on the bare ground. and,
when suddenly surprised. gathers
them up in its wide mouth and flies to
to a place of safety.
Bills called dcntirostral are tOothed.