The Rutland daily globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1875-06-08
Correspondence OF the GLoBK.l
LETTER FROM ASPINwALL.
The Birds Of Panama.


AspINwALL, May 10, 1875.
Editor Rutland Globe The Pacific
Mail steamship Acapulco steamed into the
habor yesterday afternoon about four
o'clock, and after perusng the letters re-
ceived by her the remainder of the day was
spent in reading the GLOBE, files of which
were received from the 16:h to the Goth of
April, and which were eagerly read, not
only by me but by all the Vermonters and
if l thought that my letters from this
place were read with half the eagerness
and pleasure which l have derived in read
ing the various local items found in those
deavors to tell your readers something of
this country. In my former letters have
spoken chiefly of the inhabitants, their
manners of living and their habits. in this
letter it is proposed to tell something OF the
various birds and trees, which may not
prove entirely embarrassing. Believing
that seniority should always have the pre-
ference, let us commence by speaking of
UlTu tuat ID iouuu hciC 1" 'hSo
numbers, and which, by many, is
called the Irrational Bird" and if
numbers go far toward establishing a
claim, l think it is well sustained The
bird in most cases goes by the name ''tur-
key buzzard" and appears to be indigenous
to this climate, and are by far the largest
in numbers of any bird that l have yet
seen and. homely and disgusting as they
are, we could not well get along without
them. They are the scavengers of the
place and they do their work well. have
frequently seen them in droves of at least
fifty flying around the village, and all of a
-.ads- Lvu,, the,- would dart a pile of
offal, and, in an amazingly short space of
time, it disappears. There is one good
thing about them they are not at all par
ticular as to the kind of food they have
indeed, the. longer it has lain and putrefied
the better pleased they seem to act when
they get at it, and a delicate stomach is
something that they are not possessed of.
No person would be guilty of shooting
them, and, even were one inclined to do
such a thing, it would be poor policy to
commit the act, for the authorities
here, approaching the benefit they are
to the place, have made the shoot.
ing of one crime, punishable with a
fine of 1875 and Imprisonment in the Gala
boose for thirty days, SO as there is moth.
ing to prevent it is no wonder that they
grow fat and thrive. Next to them are
! parrots and paroquets, the former,appearing
to be in the majority. Every family and
every store appear to have from one to
/ three of them and very frequently day i,
made hideous by the screams and yells oil
, these birds. They can be bought for al
most any price from one dollar to three
and ON one occasion saw seyen start off
, on the cars, which had been bought by
passengers passing through the place bounC
/ for California. / was not in the least sor-
nv that they were going, and was glad tc
think had not got to be on the boat with
them for fifteen days. Some of these birds
are quite well trained directly opposite
t the office is an sold sinner" who fooled mt
pretty well once or twice when l first can't
= here, much to the satisfaction of the othel
r boys IN the office. He will squall like {
: baby, NEW like cat, bark like dog
, bleat like Q goat; screech, whistle and oc
s casonally, just for sport, swear little
! He fooled me once by mimickinl
e a cat SO successfully that
went to the window to see who wa
t tormenting the cat. There is nothing very
5 handsome about him, but as parrot he Il
s.. perfect success. There Is another birt
, found here, although not very plenty
Y called the bugle bird, and they are my ia
t vorite. They are elegant in plumage, an(
initiate bugle perfectly, sending fortl
r notes 80 clear and sweet that one canno
l tail to listen with much pleasure. Their,
A are also large numbers of whipporwills
e who are very frequently heard in tn,
G streets hooking birds are not to be foun,
q here only as they are brought from Jamai
d ca. / have never seen birds with sucl
= rich and magnificent plumage as the bird
Y on the isthmus. The number and dlfferen
d varieties of the humming bird surpasse
e that of any other. | have seen them O
@ most all colors, and yet | am told tina
e there is hardly any end to them. The,
; are trapped in large numbers, and beinl
b skinned, are sold by the natives for tn
d purpose of being stuffed and placed in col
: lections. One man employed on the roat
Y sent home eighteen different specimens b,
the last steamer, and | never saw as hand
some lot before, but hope to have one o
my own before many months. 1t woul
. be pleasant to describe more fully man,
of the birds here, but space will not permi
q | in this communication d. O. r.