The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1900-02-09
SOME WINeLEss BIRDS.
Most Curious of the Lot Is ApterYx. a
Native of New Zealand.


There exist all grades in the spread
of wings between that of the condor.
which is four times the length of the
body, whereby the bird is able TO rise
TO The height of nearly $4,000 feet, and
the little winglets of the aux, which
are of no use to il. The penguins have
still smaller wings, which are nothing
more than short, fattened stumps,
without proper feathers and covered
with a fine, hair.like down, which
might be taken for scales. Another
group of birds exists, called appropri-
'ately brevlpennes the wings of which
are so poorly developed as TO be who'll
~ unsuited for flight. Among them are
some gigantic birds. and also some
that have no visible wings on the out
side of their bodies, and may, there
fore. be properly called, wingless The
ostrich is member Of this group.
With its bare, callous head and short
bill, its long featherless neck and its
massive body, supported by long, half
bare legs, ended in two large toes; its
very short wings, formed of soft and
flexible feathers and its lume-shaped
tail, it presents a very special appear
ance among birds. The nandous the
American representatives of the os-
trich, have still shorter wings, which
have no remigia at all, and terminate
in horny appendage, and they have
no tail feathers.
The cassowary and the emeu alsore
semble the ostrich in many points. but
their wings are still more reduced
than those of the nandou. They are
only slightly distinct, and cannot be
seen when the bird holds them close
up to its body. In the apteryX, the
name of which from the Greek, means
without wings, the organs of flight are
hardly apparent and consist simply Of
a very short stump bearing n thick
and hooked nail. The apteTyx, which
| is also called kiwi a native of New
Zealand. is the most singular of living
birds. The neck and the body are con-
| tinuous, and the moderately sized
head is furnished with a long beak re-
sembIing the ibis. Having long
hairs similar to the mustaches of cats
at its base, 1t is different from the
bills of all other existing birds in pos
sessing nostrils that open at its upper
point. Although the apteryX cannot
fly, 1t runs very fast, despite the short
ness of its legs, and can defend itself
very effectively against assailants by
the aid of its long-nailed and sharp
nailed feet. The tail is absent, like
the wings. The very plant feathers
are extremely curious, loose, silky,
with jagged barbs, and increase In
length as they go back from the neck.
The bird is of the size of a fowl, ana
when in its normal position stands
with its body almost vertical and car
ries the suggestion Of a caricature-re-
sembling, we might say, a fcathered
sack, with only long-billed head and
claws projecting, and one beholding it
feels that he is looking at some unfin-
ished creature. 1t is a nocturnal bird,
of fierce temper, and has become rare
In consequence of the merciless war.
that is made upon it. Everything Is
strange about it, even the single egg
it lays, which weighs about a quarter
as much as its body. Together with
the apteryx, there once lived in New
Zealand bird that reached the height
of nearly twelve feet, the dinornis--
Appleton's Popular Science Monthly.