636 Marvels of the Universe 
under the roots of trees, 
emerging at dusk in search of 
food. During the heat of the 
dry season it “ estivates,”’ or 
passes into a state of coma, 
just as dormice, bats and 
lemmings, and many _ other 
animals, “ hibernate’ to escape 
the rigours of a_ prolonged 
winter. It is not, by the way, 
the extremes of temperature 
which induce this enforced rest 
so much as the shortage of 
food. 
WINGLESS BIRDS 
IBC i/o Pg IPYCOIRVNITIN, ANI Sop 1o%ZoSc 
Ste \ i 
SERRE . < <2 )«=CDo Speak of flightless birds 
From ‘* Extinct Birds” [By rermission of Walter Rothschild. . + 4s : 
THE DODO. seems like a contradiction in 
At least one living specimen was brought to this country; but the race, which was terms. All the same, there are 
indigenous to Mauritius, was exterminated by the voracity of travellers. a number of species at the 
present day to whom flight is impossible ; and when we extend our survey over the past history 
of the world, we shall find a yet more numerous company who had lost what would seem to us 
their greatest heritage. To enumerate all the known species in this predicament would require a 
volume in itself; it must suffice, then, to make a selection of the more remarkable instances. 
To begin with, let us take 
the Ostrich tribe. Taking the 
fossil with living species, we 
find that this ancient group 
has contrived to distribute 
itself practically over the whole 
world ; yet all save the Tina- 
mous of South America are 
flightless. Six species still sur- 
vive. Of these the largest is 
the African Ostrich, a full- 
grown cock standing as much 
as eight feet high. Though 
the wings are of considerable 
size, they are utterly inadequate 
to support the body in the air, 
but are used as sails to increase 
the speed when runn‘nzg; and 
it is exceedingly swilt of foot. 
sien Goer A dweller of the open plains, it 
Although useless for flight the wings of this species were used as weapons, contrives to avoid’ lions ame 
and were furnished with curious bony bosses on the wrist joints. other beasts of prey, and 
SSS 
By permission 
GSS SSS os | 
of Walter othschild. 
? 
