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THE


AV1CULTURAL MAGAZINE,


BEING THE JOURNAL OF

THE AVICULTURAL SOCIETY.


Third Series.-- Vol. IX.’ No. 3 .—All rights reserved. JANUARY, 1918.



A UNIQUE PHOTOGRAPH.


We have pleasure in publishing herewith the photograph of

a running Apteryx promised last month. Careful search through

Apteryx literature has revealed many excellent studies of these birds—

standing, stooping, or crouching—but none of them portrays the

curious, characteristic running pose shown in our illustration. Our

member, Mr. G. E. Low, has made a unique contribution to aviculture.


Mr. Low writes regarding this bird : “ He dwelt many years

ago in the Dublin Zoo. I well remember the keeper taking him out

of bed to be photographed. He resented this very much, and would

not sit. So I said to the keeper—‘ If he won’t sit let him run,’ and

indicated the line I wanted him to take. The photo is the result of

this.”


All such photographs of rare birds threatened with extinction

are of the utmost value. What would one not give for similar records

of the life of the Great Auk, of the Labrador Duck, of the unwieldy

Dodo, or the vanished Moa '? The Pigeon Hollandais has gone never

to return ; and, though another species now bears its name and

keeps its memory green, the extinct form has disappeared almost

unrecorded by the pen and utterly unrecorded by the camera.


The accurate nature photographer can render great service to

zoology. G. R.



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