The Davenport gazette. [volume] (Davenport, Scott Co., Iowa) 1841-185?, 1853-09-22
A Singular Bird.

A Singular Bird.
j There is in the garden at Regents Park
London, plain-looking Sombre, c native o
New Holland, called the brush turkey, whose
habits of rearing its brood are among the
most remarkable in the history Of anima
instincts. The bird is thorough chemist
and constructs for itself a patent incubator
lon chemical principles, by which it hatche:
its eggs in scientific manner, without the
tedious sitting to which other birds submit
The bird, at present, occupies part Of thu
great aviary on the south side Of the gar
den, on the right after entering the gardel
from the road. 1t is not very striking
bird in its appearance. The upper surface
Of the adult male, its wings and tail. is of
blackish-brown at the base, growing silver
gray at the ends. The skin Of the head anc
neck is OF a deep pink, verging on red, and
thinly sprnkled with short, dingy hair
The waffle is pf bright yellow, shading
off into red. Inside il is nearly that of a
turkey.
| In general habits this bird is nothing re-
markable, it is in reproduction of the spe-
cies that its anomalous proceedings are man.
iifcsted. 1t is believer in fermentation
and cooperation, for when the breeding sea
son arrives, number of the birds enter into
partnership, and collect huge heap Of veg.
etable matter, which is allowed to ferment
till it forms hot-bed. Several weeks are
patiently employed in forming this heap, but
when once formed, it does duty for several
years. new matter being added at the top al
that beneath rots away. In collecting, the
birds use only the foot; the bill is not used
at all. The surface ofthe ground surround
ing the hot-bed is thus cleared Of every leaf
and blade Of grass, every scrap of vegetation
being added to assist in the fermentation.
When this pyramidical mound of green
stuff has had sufficient time to heat, and
when it is Just at the proper temperature for
Matching, the large eggs are inserted, not
side by side, but planted at regular intervals
| from each other, and stuck into the fusty,
smoking heap perfectly upright, the large
end downward. and at an arms length below
the surface. They are then covered up and
left till hatched Whether the chickens
have to fight their way through the warm,
artificial mother or whether, as Mr. Gould
was informed, the females remain in the
neighborhood, is question not yet settled;
there is do doubt, however, that in either
case Nature has provided for the safety Of
the young, and that all its instincts are adapt
ed to the circumstances of its birth.
BABIES ON THE IsrHMus.-A gentleman
who has lately "traveled over Jordan" on
his way to the promised land Of California,
relates queer incident that took place
while he was crossing. 1t seems there
~x~T lu l,ac int ho WV
from Aspinwall to Panama, and many of
them were bountifully supplied with respon-
sbilities whose ages foated from one to
eight years. On these occasions female
timidity is apt to get little the better of
maternal anxiety, and the said responsible
ties, instead of being attached to the apron
strings oftheir anxious mammas. were pack
ed in baskets and carried on the backs of
the natives, with the trunks and other bag
rp ae :. ,ng soJ1.rs 'ensl e',U p.rty lafscu
at hotel on the road, the babes IN the
wood we're among the list ofmissing. There
was great wailing and weeping among the
bereaved, and probably some gnashlng OF
teeth by the sschildren' who were desPer-
atelv hungry. A party was dispatched to
the rear in search Of the lost treasures. and
they found the natives coolly encamped in
the woods with "young America" utterly
unconscious of the fuss that was going on,
and no doubt supposing that if the children
and other baggage were got to the steamer
in time for sailing, it would be all right.
The younr ones were handed to their sever
al mothers about daylight, and grief was
speedily changed to rejoicing
ELoouEScE OF GAvAzzI.-He was speak
ing Of, or rather describing the torture OF the
Inquisi,ion known as that OF water. After
depicting the room, the inqu'sltors on one
side of the victim and the stern eXecutioners
on the other, the awful preparation, the
white cloth on the head and face, the funnel
filled with water suspended above, the stern
order to let the water run, drop BY drop,
upon the victims face, or rather the cloth,
we're all SO forcibly pictured that the reality
seemed before US. He described by action
the effect Of the water on the cloth, the ad-
hesion of which to the mouth and eyes pro-
duced partial suffocation; the sobs, the groans
the agony, all fearfully given--and then the
deep voice of the inqusitor, "Willyou con-
Ness,n the choking utterance OF the victim
sounds, the half uttered sentence, "Not gull
tv,'' the rush of the water, the trembling
frame. the convulsive movements OF the
BODY, the agonizing, suppressed sounds; then
the deem voice, "Will you confess!" to
which n answer, but dreadful convulsive
movement, and total prostration, told that
death had done its work. Then the sudden
start Of the lecturer, his position, his fingers
pcinted, his whole frame expanded, us ne
Uttered the words: .Aud do they not per-
secute sor crinion's sake!" came upon the
ear like an electric shock, lnever witness
ed more startling piece Of descriptive act
ling. The carrying out Of fearful picture,
by clothing it with the garb Of seeming real
ity, was "beyond," as once thought, "tke
reach Of art" In the magic acting Of the
elder KEAN, the incompatible COOPER, the
impassioned CoxwAy, the tragic BooTH,
and the vivid bursts Of FORESTS eloqnence,
| never beheld SO expressive, SO startling,
so majestic, 80 powerful an impersonation
of figure as that given by Father Ga.
yAzzI Of the victim under the torture OF
water.
Lonrfellow has said much that is beauti-
full, in rhyme; ard even his prose is but an
other rhythm for his poems. How ne
touches the heart with such expressions as
the following: -
"Ah this beautiful world. Indeed know