Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-07-10
Discovery in Fossil Bed on
Florida Coast.
BIRD LONG AGOEXTINCT
PRIZED BY MAN FOR ITS FLESH
AND FEATHERS.
Once Found in Large Numbers OF
Coast of Newfoundland-A Good
Swimmer.

Interest in the great aux a bird that
has been extinct since 1874. was revived
recently. when. at the meeting OF the
American Association for the Advancement,
of Science. held in the city Of Pittsburg.
Dr oliver p Hay OF the American Museum
of Natural History of New York made
the announcement of the discovery of the
numerous or upper wing bone Of a great
aux I'm fossil bed on the southern coast
OF Florida, fnasmuch as before that time
the bird was not known to have existed
farther south than the coast of MaSsa-
chusetts this announcement by Or. Hay
Immediately commanded the Interested At
tention of the ornithologists and proved a
feature of the discussions at the meetings
The fossil bed wherein the bone was
found Is located near Ormond. Fla. and Is
about LOO feet long. 2J0 feet wide and 10
feet high. Along with lot OF other bones
ana smells the humerus Of the great aux
was dug up and sent to DIR. HAY by State
Geologist Willis s. BlatchIev Of Indiana
VINO was engaged in field work I'm that
locality. and stilr more recently Prof
Hitchcock discovered a similar bone In the
same mound
The history of the great aux Is a mourn
ful one. and the extinction of the bird Is
one among many instances such as the ex-
termination OF the buffalo. where the greed
or man destroyed a whole species OF animal
NE Many years ago the great aux in
habited Funk Island, just off the coast OF
newfoundland, and there every year for
centuries millions OF the species were
Matched unmoiested. but finally man en-
croacned on their secluslon and the ami
hilation was begun.
While the flesh of the bird was not "a
palatable as that OF the turkey, yet. since
they could not fly and were easily killed,
the fishermen at first began slaughtering
them In large numbers for food and great
Quantities of the meat Were salted down 10
be carried by the followers Of the sea on
long voyages. Later 1t was discovered that
the feathers, which were very fine had a
great commercial value. SO many OF the
natives devoted their time exclusively 70
capturing the bird for the wealth Of its
body. the feathers being used as a medium
OF exchange and barter. This wholesale
slaughter. year after year soon proved
disastrous to the species and determination
was practically accomplished as early az
1880. very few of the birds being seen after
that year.
Its Inability to Fly.
The great aux is Of the aica impennis spe-
cies so called because Of its inability To fly.
and for that reason the nests and breeding
grounds of the birds, like those OF the fur
seals. were on Isolated islands removed
from the habitations of men. 1t was said To
be the king OF all bird swimmers and dived
to a great depth. In size II was about the
same as the tame goose. measuring nearly
thirty inches from the tip Of the tail Ia the
beak, and in appearance il rtsenbled its
smaller relative. the razor bill The wings
of the great aux Were not more than al
inches long.
The bird was found ir northern climg
and yet not far nort'l as the Arctic II /
Gle. II hourished to some extent in Greets
land, Iceland, Labrador the west coast of
ireland and on the coasts Of Maine ana
Massachusetts, but the greatest numbers
were known to have existed on the c past
of Newfoundland
Several theories were advanced in regard
TO the finding Of the bones Of the bird al
far south as Florida one of them being
that they had been taken to Florida by yes
sells from Newfoundland, bound for Europe:
but the strength of that argument was lost
in the fact that vessels barely touched on
the coast of Florida during the voyage.
1t was also asserted as the opinion %
some of the scientists that the bird waI
borne southwark during the second glacier
period.
Dr. F. A. Lucus of the National Museum,
who. during 1sST-'SS. secured the largest
collection OF bones of the great aux that
was ever made, gives as his opinion that
the birds emigrated southwark during some
very severe winter in the north and that
the abode in Florida was but temporary.
A singular incident connected with the
discovery of the humerus of the aux is
that among the bones unearthed at the
time were those of a dachshund. No Indian
dog is known with legs short the
dachshund. and it is suggested that the pc
culiarly shaped dog was brought To the To-
cality at a more modern time than that in
which the Indians held sway in that Sec
ton.
The Eggs Highly Valued.
The eggs of the great aux are about the
size of a goose egg. but more pointed. and
they are more costly than are the eggs Of
any other bird or fowl, bringing from 81 1000
to 81 800 apiece. There are but two such
eggs in this country. one at Philadelphia
and the other here in the National Mu-
scum. In fact, IL is stated. on authority.
that there are only about eighty OF these