Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-11-15
much attention will be devoted to the preserve
to the world-the buffalo among the number

much attention will be devoted to the preserve
| to the world-the buffalo among the number.
THE GREAT AUX.
| Everybody knows the history Of the great
auk's determination. A single shell of one of
Its eggs, without the contents, was sold the
other day at auction for 1850. And yet this
| bird was found on Funk Island, off the New
| ioundiand coast, sixty years ago in numbers
| tnat were simply countless. But tho people
| from the mainland used to go over to the
island in summer and kill them by myriads, to
| eat and for their feathers. They were very
| appetizing roasted and we're so fat that they
served for fuel, SO that half dozen
Srehre ank' %, did to cook rh meal . of their
this was that forty years back the last of these
interesting fowls persisted and there is no
longer one OF them in existence. The Smith
| sonlan has practically corner on their bones.
osteologist. Prof. Lucas. to Funk Island for the
purpose and he brought back nearly barrel
ful OF such remains. II you want skeleton
now you will have to send to Washington for it
| and 1t will cost you about 5000.
| THE LABRADOR DUCK.
Another bird that has become extinct lately
in very extraordinary and unaccountable
| fashion is the Labrador duck. This fowl was
| black and white in color and in no way very
valuable to man, inasmuch as it fed on fish and
| had corresponding flavor, but the interest Mt
tachinS to it is due largely to tho curious man
ner OF Its disappearing. So far as 1t is known
there were never very many of these ducks,
which used to be shot occasionally by sports
men along the North Atlantic coast from
Labrador to Chesapeake bay. A few used to
be captured each year by "a taxidermist at
Camden, Nj, OH trot line, which he set for
them baited with fish just under the
| surface of the water About 1870. however,
1hHv C9AEpH hn nd cipnn no, mn
Labrador duck has ever been seen. Various
| theories have been formed to account for the
mystery, 1t having been suggested, among
other things, that distemper was accouhtab Bile
IN the premises. Others have surmised that
inc Dlrds, being so few, got mixed up with the
Hooks OF other species and were lost. One
danger that has to be encountered by birds Of
a not very numerous variety Ii that, in
migrating their hocks will lose sight Of one
another. The pair of stuffed Labrador ducAs
now IN possession of the National Museum at
Washington were killed by Daniel Webster and
were themselves the originals from which the
great Audubon made his plates of the creature
EXTINCT FISH.
still more astonishing instance of the ex-
tinction of a species is found in the case of the
tile fish, which was first found SO far as science
Is aware, by vessels fishing for cod few years
ago In the waters south of Long Island. This
hsh grew to be forty pounds in weight and was
very palatable. so that the fish commission
thought that 1t might be propagated and rem
dered most valuable for food purposes I'm
fortunately, just as the commission was on the
point OF beginning operations with this end in
view, vessel coming in reported that
IL had run across, at considerable distance out
from land, great quantities of floating fishes
most OF which were tile fish. From that time
until now not one tile fish has ever been seen,
SO that evidently the entire species was wiped
out at one fell swoop. One theory entertained
Is that an arctic current, bearing icebergs, came
unusually near shore and suddenly reduced the
temperature Of the water to such low point
that the tile fish were all killed.
Speaking OF extinct fish reminds one that
the hallbut is growing scarcer year by year.
while Holsters are becoming so few and small
That the cannerles find 1t difficult to obtain
supplies, and shad and salmon are only kept
up by the propagating efforts of the fish COM
mission.
THE DoDo.
Most interesting of extinct birds is the dodo,
which was kind of pigeon somewhat larger
than swan, very stupid and unable to fly, its
wings being almost rudimentary. 1t weighed
fifty pounds when full-grown. had huge bill,
was provided with a tail that resembled a
feather buster and waddled about on very
short legs. Its name means in the Portuguese
tongue ''simple ton" The dodo is first men,
toned by the Dutch admiral, Van Neck, in his
account OF voyage to the island of Mauritus
In 1898. His sailors and those of subsequent
vessels which touched there DESTROYED the I'M
fortunate bird wantonly and it was entirely ex-
tlnct 100 years later.
TWO GIANT BIRDS
OF antiquity there were, which modern science
knows comparatively little about, though some
of their bones and even their eggs are to this
day preserved in museums. One of these was
the eplornis OF Madagascar which stood twelve
feet high and weighed 1000 pounds. Only two
OF its eggs have ever been discovered. and they
were found in graves. Each of them was as
big as six ostrich eggs. or 143 good sized hens
eggs. In ancient times the Arabs used to go in
their trading vessels as far down the African
coast as Madagascar, where they saw these
astonishing fowls, bringing back accounts of
them which were destined to give rise to the
fables concerning the roc of the Arabian
Nights.
THE WONDERFUL noe.
In New Zealand, at later period, is known
to have existed an even heavier bird than the
roc, known to science as the dinornis, which
was not quite SO TALL however. 1t stood about
nine feet high when grown. The bones of one
leg of this creature are exhibited at the Ma
tlonal Museum. and they measure six feet from
foot to hip. The dinornis did not have even
rudimentary wings. 1t became extinct about
the time Capt Cook visited New Zealand. and
he might very possibly have found one or
more alive If he had tried. When he ar
rived the natives we're still wearing the feathers
OF the bird for ornaments. Around certain hot
springs i'll New Zealand great Accommodations of
the bones of the birds were subsequently found
1t is supposed that some sudden change in the
New Zealand climate compelled them to gather
for warmth in these places, and there they died.
1t reminds one of very plausible theory that
is entertained regarding the great beds of fossil
animals found in the west in this country Stress
of weather, the notion is, crowded the beasts
to a sheltered place. and there blizzard came
and destroyed them masse. This infor-
nation was obtained by STAR reporter from
advance sheets of the Smithsonian publication
referred TO, written by Prof. Lucas OF the Insti-
tuition.