Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1897-06-16
laws. it would have become extinct

7 0tC01JTTTUT
! and of the hillsides by cattle. But tn,
entrance of civilization Is invariably ac-
| companied by the introduction OF animals
| hostile to the native birds. such as the
cat, the dog, and the hog. Hogs destroy
| immense numbers of young ground birds
/ and their eggs. Thus the whole zoologi-
| cal balance of nature Is upset and the
Indigenous fauna succumbs. The mon
goose has been imported into the sand
| wich Islands. as well as the California
quail and the English sparrow The
| sparrow, which has become a sort OF
parasite on man, drives out the native
birds and consumes their food supply.
Perhaps the most notable native bird
of the Sandwich Islands was the
"mamo." which has been extinct for only
a few years. 1t WAS hunted very persis-
tently by the Hawaiians for the sake or
two little tufts Of yellow feathers on It's
wings These feathers were used cxclu-
sirely In the manufacture of cloIks worn
by the kings OF these islands. One such
cloak. the original estimated value OF
which was sl,1o0,o00. IL now preserved
sadly moth-eaten, in the national muse
nm A peculiar species OF rail-. gray IN
color and very small formerly Inhabited
the Hawaiian Islands, running about IN
the grass. X has become extinct within
fifteen years There was also a Kind OF
''honey-eater. as big as a robin. with a
large bill and 4 long tail. 1t Is likewise
extinct. and only three or four specimens
have been preserved. The original type
specimen Is III the national museum; II
WIS the first one known to science, and
was collected by the Wilkes exploring
expedition In 1895
The rapid destruction of the ayl-fauna
OF New zealand IL especially distressing
to naturalists The entire fauna OF those
Islands l. peculiar and stamps New
Zealand as being certainly one of the
most ancient parts OF the world. When
tire country was first discovered by the
waites there was not single mammal
on the island, large or small The birds
were mostly without the power Of hight.
one of the most remarkable was the
"Weka -a sort of rail, striped and with
long iiuffy feathers The so-called "ktwi
included eight specics--remnants Of one
of the most ancient OF all glasses of
birGs. their nearest relatives being now
fssall. The Xvi Is otherwise known as
tAe "aptorxxt' Il lives IN burrows and
lays only one large egg being nocturnal
fl It's habits. Cats and hogs haze nearly
1sirad out tho kiwis ana the wekas In
eAens3iiy, The standardization manlacs
have introduced foreign birds and rab-
bis. To get rid OF tho destructive rab-
q IS, they have imported ferreis and
s,osts which gobhle up the flghtless
BIRDS
There ls peculiar parrot In New Zeal
8'2d which Is becoming very rare
Tsaagh fruits were It's natural diet. i
t1ok To attacking sheep Few years ago.
using rs powerful Aask 20 bite into the
nash OF the iivlng animals unili the Kid
nays were reached ana deYaursd- The
sleen-herGerE certainly had a coed eS-
ctse Tor endeayor3ng 10 cXterminate u.
IN the Islands about Madagascar there
We're formerly several species OF little
r3r1quets VITA hong tails, today they are
nearly or quite extinct. On the same
islands were two species OF large mud
& rs. one white and The other purple
b longing 20 the family of rails; they are
extinct likewise. The ipalias cprmoT1nt.
larE.st Of an known cormorAnts. used 10
b. found on Boring Island. in the North
Pacific, 4 has disappeared. and only four
s.gclmeHs exist In museums. The Cara
ezra eagle which bred on the island Of
C,uadaioupe off the coast " California.
Is gone. Only 4 few living specimens Of
The California condor. the largest bird OF
Fight IN The world remain This gigan-
tIc guiture has been EpArly eNtermlnAtea
Ny poison through eating thu carcSsses Of
animals poisoned with strychnine by
sfiecpherders for the purpose Of destroy
ing wolves and bears.
The rational museum has recently Sc
cured q specimen of an Australian par
rat la a rather queer fashion, IL is
He'd the NeStor parrot because Of its
gray head, and II bscame extinct about
tire middle Of the present century. The
leclmen referred TO was owned 10y "A
man who took it 10 New Mexico fifty
years ago. Recently he became hard upl
sld sold 1t for a big price to DIR. ". l..
Ralph, a millionaire of Utica, n. Y. Or.
Ralph presented 1t 10 the museum. The
authorities Of that institution SAY that
there Is a great opportunity just now
Tor rich men 70 make their names i'm
r. ortal by sending natural history collcc
tcrs to islands in various parts of the
y orld which are fast losing their indi-
erous fauna Collections thus made
would stand as enduring monuments for
centuries 10 come.
The well-lIhown Carolina paroquets,
the only parrots native to the United
states are near to final extinction For