s, in time past, been the
habitation of a family of immense birds, which have not died out very
long. In fact, some suppose there are retreats there where the birds
still live, which are seldom or never visited by men of any race. We
have no English name for them, so we must give them the Latin one of
Dinornis. A search during 1870, amongst the old cooking-pits, or ovens,
in the Province of Canterbury, brought to view sundry remains of the
dinornis, being a sure sign that some of the huge birds had been caught
and cooked.

Farther back, in 1842, there was an account of a strange bird the New
Zealanders knew, and called a Moa, published by a Mr. Williams. They
told him it had lived in places difficult to reach amongst the hills,
and that their grandfathers had seen the bird alive, but they themselves
had not, though they had discovered bones of the species in the mud of
some rivers. According to observations, the height of the dinornis may
have been from twelve to fourteen feet, or even more; it is supposed the
birds were numerous at one time, and lived to a great age. What their
food was is only to be guessed, probably vegetable, for the dinornis
does not seem to have been a bird of prey. The natives described them as
running or striding over the ground with tremendous speed, but nothing
was said about their being able to fly.

While searching volcanic sand, Mr. Mantell came upon an immense
egg-shell, for which he said that his hat would hardly have been large
enough to serve as cup. But the size of a bird does not always indicate
what that of the egg is, so this may not have been one laid by a
dinornis. Thus, the Apteryx, or Kiwi, of New Zealand, a curious, almost
wingless bird, lays an egg which is about a quarter of its own weight.

Madagascar, in the past centuries, had also its big bird, which has been
named Oepyornis, but only fragments of its bones have been obtained,
and a few eggs, mostly broken. It is reckoned, however, that, the
average egg of the Oepyornis must have been a foot long, and about two
feet round, six times as big as that of the ostrich. There was a fine
bird, yet not equal to these giants, named the Great Auk, which used to
be found at the North of Scotland, and elsewhere. It was a good swimmer
and diver, but has vanished.

CROWDED OUT.

A family of mice, consisting of father, mother, and three sons, living
in a large log-house, near the shore of a great American river, went to
sle