The evening times., 1899-05-13
LOCAL BIRD EXPERTS
bear OF A RARE Find.
Smithsonian 0rnithologists
Look Up Its History.
Dise0yerer of the Skeleton Thought
1t a Fossil.
Another Specimen Afterward Found
on En Unfrequented Is1nnd-The
Latest Fowl Brings $4,000.

"A lew UdyS dSO WOIu was iSSSA'Nu 80 eAAS
Smithsonian Institution that another speci-
| men of the Notornis Mantelli, one Of the
rarest of the tropical birds had been found
in New Zealand. The information created
quite a stir among the ornithologists. and
they have busted themselves in looking
up the history Of the bird for the benefit
Of the public. A local ornithologist gives
the following story Of it:
This particular specimen of the Notor-
mis- family was discovered many years ago
by DR.. Mantell, of London. while on a trip
to New South Wales. The bird itself was
not seen by its discoverer but a skeleton
of it was found on a small island near
New Zealand, and it was thought to be
fossil. The bones were carefully collected,
ard taken to England where, after being
properly articulated, they were placed in
the British Museum and labeled as pre-
historic fossil. Many years later. some
sailors from passing vessel discovered
the tracks of large bird in the snow on
the beach of small island near where
the original find was made. They follow
ed the tracks and soon came upon live
bird the like of which they had never seen.
1t was taken to the vessel from which
they had come where it was instantly rec
ognized by some scientists aboard as per-
feet specimen of the prehistoric fowl
found by DR.. Mantell. The men were
greatly elated over their find and this
specimen was taken to the British Museum
where it was stuffed and placed beside the
skeleton previously contributed by DIR.
Mantell.
AS the latter was the discoverer of the
bird it was given his name and will be
-
A second specimen was found on another
island numbe: of years afterward, and
few days ago third bird was discovered
on still another island. 1t is one of the
strange features of these discoveries that
il is not believed that single one of the
specimens now known to exist inhabited
the same island, although they were found
in about the same locality. The last bird
discovered created quite 4 sensation in sci
enticfc circles. and some idea of the value
of the object may be gained from the fact
that after some lively bidding the city
government of Auckland, New South
Wales, purchased the feathered biped for
two thousand pounds ster.inS-s10 COO.
The bird is a member OF the raj! family,
and like most of its kind found in cold re-
gions, is blue in color. II is about the
size of an ordinary domestic fowl and has
the appearance OF a guinea fowl. The
finding OF the ManteiIi has given the or
nithologists hope that another specimen
of the Notornis Alba. sometimes called
the Fulica Alba and more commonly
known as the White Fulica. will be found.
This bird is probably the rarest of the
tropical feathered species Only one speci
| men is known to exist, although orni
| biologists are positive that the BIRDS did
| exist in large numbers in about the same
| localities as the Martelli. This specimen,
after a long and varied career, finally
| brought up in the Imperial Museum in vi
emma, Austria. where it is now exhibited.
The fowl was discovered by John White.
esq, Surgeon General of His Majesty's
Colonies in 1877 On Lord Howe's Island.
1t was brought by him to England and
presented TO Sir Ashton Lever, a promi-
nent scientist of the day. who placed it in
the Leverian Museum, which was then one
of the most complete institutions of its
kind in the world. AT the death of Sir
Ashton, the specimen was sold under the
| hammer and was finally knocked down to
| the representatives of the Emperor of
Austria for $1,000.
DR.. White was making a tour OF New
South Wales and the islands nearby when
he discovered the bird. A number of sail
ors landed On a small island, which they
| named Lord Howe's Island, to get a supply
crustaceans, the seamen found large
flock of pure white birds which resembled
in every way the guinea fowl except that
they were white The birds were not
frightened at the appearance of the men,
and seemed to have considerable curiosity
regarding their movements.
The hunt for the turtles was abandoned
when the white birds were spied, and the
sailors busted themselves in knocking the
fowls on the head. that being the most
convenient way of killing them. A num-
ber of the flock were secured in this man
ner. and one of them was stripped and the
skin taken to England where it was pre-
sented to Sir Ashton Lever, who had it
stuffed. Several times after that the birds
were seen, but in such numbers that the
scientists did not think they would become
extinct. Suddenly, however. they disap-
peared and since early in the present CEN
tury not another specimen has been seen,
although numerous searches have been
made for it. The bird is pure white In COL
or, and, like the Mantelli. is about the size
of the barnyard fowl. 1t, too. resembles
the guinea fowl and has red legs and a
large red comb
rail family and are of the varieties known
only to exist in the vicinity of New Zea-
land and New South Wales. The Fulica
has peculiar appendix on each shoulder
which resembles a spur and with which
it probably defended itself The bird did
not fly very well and lived mostly on the
level. A full account of the fowl and its
habits was written by Mr.. White in the
journal of his voyage to New South Wales,
and this is the first and only mention that
has ever been made OF it.