12 Wonders of the Bird World 



what like those of the Rails (Rallid(B\ being rather rounded 

 and spotted. Their method of nesting is also different 

 from that of the Cranes and Bustards, but it does to 

 some extent resemble that of the Secretary, which builds a 

 huge nest in a bush or a tree, and also lays but two eggs, 

 which are white, slightly smudged with rust-colour. The 

 Seriama must in fact be considered as a survival of some 

 ancient form of bird life, of which probably PJwrorachus 

 and the other Stereornithes were the forerunners. 



Of the Struthious or Ratite Birds x there are four distinct 

 stocks existing at the present day, viz. the Ostriches 

 (Stritthionida) in Africa, and Rheas (Rkeidce) in South 

 America . the Emeus (Dromceida) and the Cassowaries 

 (Casuariide) in the Australian Region; and the Kiwis 

 (Apterygida) in New Zealand. In the latter country also 

 lived within historic times the gigantic Moas (Dinar nithida), 

 which had close allies in the great Struthious birds of 

 Madagascar (Aipyornis and Mullerornis). Of the Moas 

 there were many species and several genera, varying much 

 in size, from the great Dinornis maximus, which stood 

 twelve feet high, to the smaller forms, such as A nomalopteryx 

 parva, which were not more than three feet in height. 

 Some of the lesser Moas possessed a hallux or hind toe, and 

 thus they resembled their smaller New Zealand cousins, the 

 Kiwis, and differed from the Ostriches, Emeus, and Rheas. 



The cause of the extinction of the Moas in New Zealand 

 has, as yet, not received any satisfactory explanation. 

 One of the most recent discoveries of remains took place 

 on an exposed piece of rising ground, where a man, while 

 ploughing, happened to unearth a large bone, which he 

 sent to Dr. H. O. Forbes, who was then the Director of 

 the Christchurch Museum at Canterbury, New Zealand. 

 On proceeding to the place Dr. Forbes ascertained by 



1 So called from the absence of a keel to the sternum or breast- 

 bone, which thus resembles a raft or flat-bottomed boat (ratis). 



