Lewiston teller. [volume] (Lewiston, North Idaho) 1878-1900, 1891-06-25
FEATHERED MONSTERS.
BIRDS OF THE AN
TlDELUvIAN PERIOD.
The Gigantic Moa, Which once Ma.'' '"e
Earth rremble with Its Trend
Crowded Out OF the World
Ages and Ages Ago.

The non-scientific world takes ro-
mantle interest in the huge ah'euoi'
Wan monsters that once fairly siiooA
the earth with their ponderous wel@h''
and the record of the rocks tells us
that every great division OF the animal
kingdom has had its day of giants.
There was an epoch of giant mammals
of giant reptiles, of giant fish; even
the amphibians once had high Ola
time lording it over the rest OF creation
if we can Judge by the marks the huge
labyrinthdon has left behind him.
Most of these formidable monsters
lived at the same time and no doubt
engaged occasionally in tussle that
would have been worth seeing Only
in some remote portion of the earth
far from competition with the more ag-
pressive mammals, could they attain a
size worthy to rank with other mon
sters of the past They could hardly
expect to attain both great size and
corresponding power of flight. and 1t
is fact that the largest extinct ana
living birds are practically wingless.
In the fierce struggle for existence the
|
the terrestrial forms of birds quick
witted ruminants ate them out OF house
and home-they had to keep Off the
grass" take to wing and roost in trees
or perish. Thus we find that the big
pest hying birds. the condor and alba
tross, only weight as much as big
turkey-though they look majestic
enough when on the wing, while the
ostrich will tip the beam at $50 to 200
pounds, but even this truly huge bird
does not present such relative con-
trast to the smallest bird as the ele-
plant does to the smallest mammal.
Now, in two parts OF the world
gigantic birds did really develop. but
only because other terrestrial animals
were wanting.
In the southern hemisphere were
two isolated tracts of land of consider
able extent and without any connection
with any continent. A species of the
ostrich family secured footing in
both and proceeded to show the world
what a bird could accomplish in the
way OF personal ACKNOWLEDGEMENT if
they got good start In New lea
land the great wingless family diornis
grew and fourished in a way that
proves what an exceptional field the
island offered to bird life at that time.
Beyond few species of bats there
we're no other indigenous mammals,
and when the ancestors of the great
moa flew or were blown over on the
: island by storms there were no hostile
creatures to dispute their title to mon.
archs of all they surveyed. How long
they must have held undisputed pos
, session of the country is proven by the
countless varieties this bird family
developed. Probably no bird (witness
the domestic fowl. pepguins etc. will
J keep up the habit of flying unless
forced by the presence of enemies that
) threaten it's very existence. Once in
: that bird Eden, the diornis had no use
for its wings and in the course of time
they became atrophied relics. All they
had to do was to eat, drink and grow
, fat. After many generations, by the
law of natural selection, a huge dior
nis developed-the moa-a creature OF
, truly colossal proportions In the
J British museum stands the skeleton oil
i one of these BIRDS eleven feet high il
an inch, with a thighbone that rivals
: in size and weight that of the largest
t elephant. Still larger bones have beer
found, and no doubt many of us would
, give small fortune to see such birC
in the flesh. But, alas! day of reck.
oning came and these mammoth bird.
were extirpated in but 1.-THE of the
hDI +n1y M, ~, =;
grand dimensions.
One fine day canoes appeared on tn,
=, horizon and species of the dreaded
mammal invaded the land. The nobl,
!, Maori appeared upon the scene Will
lance and club. No doubt the sight O
such huge fowl astonished him a
first, but he soon astonished the mo-
g by killing it and sampling it. Every
where on the island are the scattere,
J.. remains of half-burnt skeletons, show
v ing where the Maoris killed cooked
and Toasted, while eggs have bee
a found with dried up embryos still il
q them leading to the belief that thes
mammoth creatures survived right +
if our own day. Awkward and defense
e less. confined to a relatively small
area, the moa had not time to lear
ID any habits that might have protecte
n it from the hungry savage. The oil
Maoris Toasted high in those days, an
in gathering the few remains we ca
W only wonder and regret that men eve
in existed with such vast appetites a
y were equal to the determination of tn
K mOa.
5 But far and away the largest of a
-, birds was the Epyornis of Madaga
e. car. 1t was n cousin to the moa b,
81 like the mastodon is cousin to the ell,
tn plant. Certain it is that the birf
or never had such a big representative I
in those palmy days when it stake
Id the earth. Its ponderous thigh-bor
ng compares well with that OF the large
EN- known mastodon. One blow of TIL
en- foot would have knocked in the side
" house or lifted a street car aero
" the Chicago river Equally clums
and awkward as the moa, it could on
nv develop in n country free from N