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VI.—On “Wingless Birds,” Fossil and Recent; and a Few Words on Birds as a Class

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 May 2009

Henry Woodward
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Extract

Before offering a short account of the Struthious, or Ostrich-like Birds, commonly called “Wingless Birds,”I propose to say a few words about Birdsas a class. Every one who has paid attention to the anatomy Birds has been struck by the marvellous uniformity of the Class.

Every one who has paid attention to the anatomy of Birds has been struck by the marvellous uniformity of the Class. Embracing as it does almost countless numbers of species, these are found upon examination to pass insensibly, by the most delicate differences, the one into the other, so that it often is most difficult to distinguish genera and species.

Type
Original Articles
Information
Geological Magazine , Volume 2 , Issue 7 , July 1885 , pp. 308 - 318
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1885

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References

page 311 note 1 See alsoGeol. Mag. 1884, Decade III. Vol. I. pp. 418–424, Plate XIV.Google Scholar

page 311 note 2 “Remains of Birds,” Mantell (Palœornis Clijtii), Geol. Trans. 2nd series, vol. v. t. 13. Wealden, Tilgate Forest. Preserved in the Geological Collection of the British Musenm (Natural History).

page 312 note 1 See Geol. Mag. 1876, pp. 49–53, Pl. II.; Op. cit. 1880, pp.522–526.Google Scholar

page 313 note 1 This character fails us here, for Dinornis seems to have possessed a hind-toe.

page 316 note 1 In the case of Didunculus, in the Island of Samoa, this little didine bird had carelessly taken to building its nest on the ground, but since the introduction of pigs and other animals, it has made an effort to save itself, and it now builds its nest higher up in the trees, and it may possibly survive adverse circumstances if man does not intervene. Strigops seems, on the contrary, doomed to extermination, building on or near the ground, and making no effort to fly or protect itself from its destroyers.

page 317 note 1 The Guillemot may be seen at the Zoological Gardens using its wings when swimming in pursuit of fish.