Show A Four Footed Bird The opisthocomus cristatus is a four footed bird I has such anomalies of structure that it is deemed impossible to class it along with any other family It is one of those survivors which teU us of extinct groups of whose past existence we would otherwise have remained forever ignorant These the only species of four footed birds inhabit the islands of Marajo in the lower Amazons It is only during infancy however that this remarkable feature of these birds is observed ob-served the two fore feet appearing early in the development of the embryo and continuing perfectly formed for several sev-eral days after hatching when they are gradually shed It is also known as the hoactzin or evil smelling bird the flesh having an unpleasant odor making it unpalatable un-palatable to both man and carnivorous animals which is probably one cause of its survival Brooklyn Eagle |