Thibodaux minerva. [volume] (Thibodaux, La.) 18??-1858, 1855-08-11
The Bird Hunter.

Lieut. Gibbons explorations in the valley Of
the Amazon presents to the reader many in
tcrestng features. We clip the following in
relation to bird-hunters:
There are few individuals among the
creoles of Santa Cruz who understand the art
of collecting and preserving the skins of birds
with arsenical soap. They make theirl living by
stuting birds with cotton, to be boxed up aud
e.ported The bird collector differs from the
bark catherer; he is found on the plains as
veil as in the woods; his AMIN unition is good
novder, in small tin canisters, different sized
sshot, and a small quantity Of quicksilver. The
shot are for ordinary birds. He puts few
drops of quicksilver in a small piece Of paper,
and loads his gun with it instead of shot. The
quicksilver knocks the humming bird over,
rthout tearing the skin, or disfgurng the
nlumage; it stuns, and before the bird re-
covers, the sportsman has had him in hand
After the hunter has collected some FIVE hun
bred kinds, he then becomes difficult to please !;
he wants the beautiful little songster who sits
at the base of the Andes, and sends forth his
music before the rising sun. There are many
birds who feed by night, and sleep in daylight;
some steal the eggs Of their neighbors; others
drive away the parents, feed and rear their
young, or sit upon the eggs aud hatch them for
the ripbtful owner All these birds we see
singing. bathing, resting, and sleeping
We met bird-hunter in Trinidad; he had
been Mt work two years collecting near six
hundred different kinds. He was of opinion
there are over a thousand varieties of night
and day birds to be found in the Madeira
Plate, besides snakes, lizards, and any quantity
of insects. Trinidad was his head -quarters
from which he branched off in all directions
during the dry season. His room was q
perfect curiosity shop. The birds were rolled
up in paper after they had been properly cured,
and slowed away in large wooden boxes.
Every day, at different hours, he went to the
field; after days of labor, he would be seen
returning with single bird, differing from any
in his room. He procures poisonous snakes by
splitting the end of stick to form fork, which
he places over the neck Of the snake, and holds
him until gourd or bottle is fixed over his
head, when he loosens his fork and the snake
crsws into the cavity. He then corks the
gourd and puts it into his pocket. After the
snake starves to death, or is drowned in spirits
bis skin is taken off, preserved, and stuffed,
ready for transporting to the museums of the
civilized world.
During the rainy season the brd-hunter
enters a canoe. and repairs to those places
where the various animals are collected to-
gether. He obtains many species there, which
would require length of time to follow up,
and fills his canoe with venison and deer skins.
Be GENrLEMEN AT HoME.-There are few "a
Miles we imagine, anywhere, in which love is not
abused as furnishing licence for impoliteness. A
husband, father, BROTHER will speak harsh words to
<h1cn ho A.
him best simply because the security of love and
family pride keeps him from getting his head
broken. 1t is shame that man will speak more
impolitely at times, to his wife or sister, than he
would to any other female, except low and vicious
one. 1t is thus that the honest affections of mans
nature prove to be a weaker protection to woman
in the family circle than the restraints Of society
and that woman usually is indebted for the kind
est polteness of life to those not belonging to her
own household. Things ought not SO to be. The
man, who, because it will not be resented, inHicts
his spleen and had temper upon those of his hearth
sfone is small coward, and a very mean man.
Kind words are circulating mediums between true
gentlemen and ladies at home. and no polish ex-
hibted m society can atone for the harsh language
and disrespectfnl treatment too often INDUCED in
between those bound together by Gods own ties
Of blood, and the still more sacred bonds of con-
jugal Iove.--Sprinafeld Republican.
The tyrant is everywhere and always coward,
per sc, whether in the family school-room, in the
army or navy, on the throne or in private business
Life. The extent of his brutality over the weak or
helpless may always be measured by that Of his de-
basng sycophancy to those in whose power he
may be. We doubt whether there ever was an
exception to this rule.