Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1900-11-08
THE KIWI,
THE KIWI,
A wlngless bird OF Australia, still In
existence, but becoming daily
mara rura

CXlStencc, DCt hecOmlnB daily
more rare.
height, and IL differs from the Moa In
having an exceedingly long beak. with
which 1t probes tho soft earth at night
time in search Of worms. Some of the
Kiwis are valuable birds, too, since
the rarest living specimens are said to
be worth $3.50 apiece In this quarter
OF the globe, for they arc very difficult
to bring here alive from such dis
tant place as New Zealand.
From this list of rare birds we must
not omit the other one for which NADIA
gascar was so famous, the Aepyornis.
monster bigger even than the Moa.
the eggs OF which, still constantly dis
covered by the natives, are worth at
least 5000 apiece. They measure three
feet In circumference, with liquid
carrying capacity OF no less than two
gallons.
Some few OF tie iarer living birds
OF today are worth large sums. the
King Penguin being valued at $500
or more. We might mention also a
pair OF sober tinted ducks, which the
curator Of the 200 at Rotterdam as
sured the writer he would not willing
ly exchange for $4,000 rhinoceros, as
they were the last CT the race.
Among the beasts, what would not
| the huge mammoth be worth THAT
strange, elepbant-like creature whose
body was covered with long. reddish
LII -, hn
OF Siberia, where Its remains are still
often found, with the hair yet on the
body, fast frozen into Its Icy grave;
whose enormous tusks, far exceeding
! In size those OF the elephant. are still
collected :or the sake of their ivory.
shlpload having teen actually sold
not long ago. Mainnoths must have
been exceedingly numerous at one
time, fer from the quantity OF tusks
collected in Siberia alone 1t Is esti-
mated that quite 5000 carcasses were
discovered there In twenty years.
There Is an African animal, the
quagga, that would bring good price.
AS recently at 1899 these animals ex-
listed in vast herds even SO far south
as Cape Colony, bur owing to their
FATHER heavy build and somewhat slow
pace, they fell prey 3rst to the lions.
| then to the natives. and finally to the
white men. who coveted their flesh and
| hides. Not single specimen has been
seen for nearly twenty years, although
there still remains the slight chance
| Of coming across lew survivors in
the German and Portuguese territory
| In Southwest Africa.
| Two more of the Airit an mammalia
are becoming extremely rare. the els-
phant and the !ippoiotamus. Prob
ably the only african elephant In Eu-
rope is now In the collection at Re-
gents park. London, and would self
/ at auction for more than 5000. wai.o
to prove the scarcity of the hippos. no
less than $500 was raid for an infant
male born In the geological gardens at
| Antwerp about three years ago. Even
twenty years ago SO coo was paid for
the monster African elephant Jumbo.
who was killed III 1855 by an express
train in Canada.
The giraffes, too. arc scarce, and ore
CT them will bring $4,000 today.
Among domestic animals soma
horses, cattle dogs, eats and the Inks
bring fabulous Sans. Cats have soils
| for $500 each. dogs at $500, while q!
least one horse has brought as high
as 100000.