Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1900-11-08
THE KIwI
THE KIWI,
A wingless bird OF Australia, still in
existence, but becoming daily
mora rawa

existence, but becoming daily
more rare.
height, and 1t differs from the Moa in
having an exceedingly long beak. with
which it probes the 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 $759 apiece In this quarter
of the globe, for they arc very difficult
to bring here alive from such a cis-
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.
a monster bigger even than the Moa.
the eggs OF which, still constantly dis
covered by the natives. are worth at
least $500 apiece. They measure three
feet In circumference, with a liquid
carrying capacity Of no less than two
gallons.
Some few CT tie iarer living birds
of today are worth large sums. the
King Icnquin being valued at $500
or more. We might mention also a
pair of sober. tinted ducks. which the
curator Of the zoo at Rotterdam as
sured the writer he would not willing
ly exchange for $1,000 rhinoceros. as
they were the last CT the race.
Among the beasts, what would not
the huge mammoth be worth?-that
strange, elephant-like creature whose
body was covered with long. reddish
hair to protect it from the bitter cold
OF Siberia. where its remains are still
often found, with the hair yet on the
bcJy, 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.
shipload having teen actually sold
not long ago. Mammoths 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 Jrst 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 remaius the slight chance
Of coming across n lew survivors in
the German and Portuguese territory
In Southwest Africa.
Two more of the Afri: an mammalia
are becoming extremely rare. the ele-
phant and the hipporotamus. Prob
ably the only african elephant In Eu-
rope Is now in the collection at Re
gents park, London, and would sell
at auction for more than 5000. waite
to prove the scarcity OF the hippos. NO
less than $500 was roid for an infant
male born In the geological gardens at
Antwerp about three years ago. Even
twenty years ago $40 coo was paid for
the monster African elephant .Jumb,,
who was killed IN 1855 by an express
traiu in Canada.
The giraffes, too. are scarce, and ora
CT them will bring $1,000 today.
Among domestic animals soma
horses. cattle. dogs. eats and the iiks
bring fabulous 2anS. Cats have sold
for $500 each. dogs at ,6.500. while a:
least one horse has 5rcught as high
as Sl10,op0.