The Red Cloud chief., 1879-12-04
Birds OF Rare Species and Strange
Habits.

In one of his numerous and always
lively and readable communications To
the learned societies of France, NJ. Dcvic
calls attention to an account of some 81
gantic birds given by an Arabian writer
of the tenth century-name not stated
who has written on the Wonders of
India" by this term meaning all the
countries washed by the Indian Ocean.
OF course there is a great deal of fable
in what is set forth, in view of ~ much
coming from mere hearSay, but NJ. Deyic
rightly observes that traditions gcner-
ally have some foundation IN truth;
moreover, his object is merely To en-
deavor tn east some historical light ON
the remains of the gigantic birds, the
dodo or 1piornis for instance, which
have been found in quartcnary or earlier
geological strata. Thus the Arabian
author speaks of a shipwreck. in which
seven sailors got ont of IN inhoSpitable
island by tying themselves, one by one.
like Sinbad, to the legs of IN enormous
bird. In another ease some seamen
killed a fowl "a> bic a. a bull" but af-
ter having eaten of its flesh were diSa-
greeably surprised at findin" that I'LL
the hair of their bodies came off, 50 that
they found themselves bald and
beardless. The authenticity which
this Oriental author considers
sufficient to warrant him in
believing and recording such ~recitalS is
not a little amusing. thus: a sailor
told me he had heard people say that N
Solfala there was a bird that would take
up a wild beast i'm the air, let it fall 10
kill it, then pounce upon and devour it.
Another bird would do the same with
the colossal tortoiseS of this negro
country" Again, "a renowned Cap
tain of those who 60 TO the gold coun-
try" had seer a gigantic bird that had
killed an elephant and had eaten n
quarter of il, when the bird was itself
slain by means of poisoned arrows; the
king of the negroes got the feathers of
its wings, and the quilts were large
enough to contain "two skinSful of
water in another passage it is even
related a man was seen leading two
bulls laden with twelve gigantic quilts
filled with water.
Passing from the romantic or fictitious
to the more recent and definite. mention
ildN bt IldVt VI Al NtlN IciisiG hdblc
East Indian variety of the "tumbler
pigeon" called the Lotan. lately de-
Scribed by Travellers variety which
has been known in that country rs pos
certain peculiaritieS rams
mitted from generation 10 gem
Grafton for nearly three hundred
years. 1t is only necessary IN shake
this bird, or, in the case Of one variety,
To touch it on the neck with a stick in
order { make it roll over on the ground.
This it continues To do with great
until utterly exhausted. 80 that
it may die unless taken up, held in the
hands and Soothed. when il will recover. T.
The habit or phenomenon thus exhibited
is believed by some 70 he a hereditary
of possibly some accidental
To the brain. as II is well known
if the base of the brain of a pigeon
be pricked with a needle. the bird will
roll over backward as do the ground
tumblers. One pigeon, thus pricked by
way of experiment, is stated to have re-
perfectly. but continued ever
TO perform somersets like 4
although not Of the breed.
The movement is described "a being of
he nature of 4 recurrent spaSm or con-
which throws the bird back
ward, is in tetanus: it then RECEIVERS lis
balance, and is again thrown backward.
Whether the performances of the COM
non tumbler, which are carried on in
he air, are related 10 those of the !