Show museum displays birds of prehistoric vintage grotesque birds which became extinct millions of years before the earliest prehistoric human beings existed have been brought back in restorations made in the zoological laboratories ol of the field museum in chicago their public exhibition hibi tion was announced by Cli clifford flord C gregg director of the museum the display includes all types of prehistoric birds for which sufficient fossil material has been found to make possible the construction of restorations and so far as known it is is the only exhibit of the kind in the world included is which shares with its ally archaeopteryx the distinction ol of being the earliest of all known birds to inhabit the earth they had distinct characteristics indicating their emergence from reptilian ancestors but they had feathers instead of scales at least in the tall tail and wings another restoration is is that of giant feathered inhabitant 1 of the wyoming region which chic h probably preyed upon and devoured the horses of its day they were tour four toed creatures about the s size ze of a modern collie dog also shown is a model of nis the largest bird ever known knon to exist which grew to be as much as 12 feet tall tail it possibly became extinct only after the island of madagascar its exclusive habitat became bame populated by human invaders from the south sea islands A fossil egg of this bird is exhibited in the museums department of geology another comparatively recent bird in the exhibit is Di norms one of the a giant almost as large as which lived in new zealand and may have been bated within the years the maori people who migrated into its homeland from other south pacific regions others ot of the ancient birds restored in the exhibit are whose name means fishbird fish bird an early inhabitant of 0 the mississippi valley Hesper a loon like aquatic species which was also a resident of north america the quail like of which scientists have found only a single fossil specimen and which lived in western north america a crane like predaceous bird of south america |