"It was during our stay on the island of Apu H'ruku that we learned from the natives of the 'Bird of Thunder', demonic servants of their gods, who visited retribution on the local populace on behalf of the deities....on the plateau, we found them!... they were huge flightless birds, like an overfierce ostrich, crossed with a hawk and a snake, standing around twelve feet tall at the shoulder...came thundering towards us!...we were saved, thanks to Sergeant Hamilton's expert handling of his service revolver...enclosed a sketch I have done in the field..." Excerpts from Professor Witherspoon's field journal (from his 1903 expedition).