304 WITH THE U. S. NATURALISTS 



swered cautiously; "but you cannot justly say that 

 'it was not a bit' like any modern bird. Take 

 these two questions of teeth and fingers. As I 

 have told you once, there lived until recently on 

 the island of Samoa, a bird with teeth, certainly 

 not possessing a reptile jaw like the Archaeopteryx, 

 but still, a toothed bird. It was called the Tooth- 

 Billed Pigeon, or Manu-Mea, and, most unfortu- 

 nately, the introduction of cats into the island has 

 practically made the race extinct. Still, you see, 

 Shan, birds with reptile-like teeth existed until 

 comparatively recently. 



"Then take the question of fingers. As you 

 know, a bird has the bones only of one small thumb 

 and two other fingers which are bound together. 

 These are used as part of the framework of the 

 organ of flight. Yet there is one primitively or- 

 ganized bird, still living, called the Hoactzin, with 

 fingers that are reminiscent of this fossil ancestor. 

 Young Hoactzins climb all over the trees by the 

 use of a clawed thumb, which projects from the 

 bird's wrist. 



"Next," he continued, "there is the question of 

 the tail to be considered, not only the feathers of 

 the tail but the bony structure. I've taught you 

 enough anatomy to show you thoroughly the im- 



