The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1881-09-16

A Beautiful Bird.
The hamingo Is beautiful inhabitant
o. al marshy regions in the tropics.
II Is found in great numbers in South
America and the West Indies. and in
Africa, Southern Asia and China. II
il bird Of wondrous beauty. Il has .
slender. gracefully formed BODY. long.
thin legs, and very long. flexible
neck. When its stands erect. lis neck
stretched IN the air. its head is fully six
feet FROM the ground
The feathers on the body Of the fIa-
mingo are white. delicately tinted with
rose-color. Its wings. which are very
large. are Of the most brilliant scarlet.
and the long quilts are black. II is
very sociAble bird, and Is always seen
in locks Of several hundred. The APP
pearance Of flock Of famingoes. As
described BY travellers. Is one OF start
ing magniiiccnce. Seen from afar.
wading or swimming in the inlets Of
salt marshes for the fIamingo loves
best to keep near the sea-coast--one
would think that an immense army Of
relocated soldiers was encamped
t4ClC, Al1tGt0 "a y u0(A " m0tuIlE81s
defenseless birds. In South America
the flamingo is called 1.-THE soldier
bird BY the natives. and Humboldt,
the great German traveller and natural
ist, relates . very amusing story. which
he gives As an actual occurrence. illus
trafing the fitness OF this name "A
new township Of Angostura had been
formed; but the inhabitants were
scarcely settled in their new homes
when. one morning. wild cry Of alarm
spread through the little village that
an immense body Of men in red gar
mems, probably hostile Indians. was
advancing. Such weapons As were a.
hand were hastily seized. and al the
men rushed out to defend their homes.
Suddenly the supposed hostile army
rose in the air. and. forming long
line Of flashing scarlet against the clear
blue sky. took its course In the direc-
ton Of the great salt-marshes around the
mouth Of the Orinoco.
Naturalists have encountered great
difficulty in their attempts TO study the
habits Of the famingo in its native
haunts, for It Is very shy and cautious
bird. aud no flock i ever found without
4 sentinel posted 10 give notice Of the
approach " danger. This is usually
the largest. and, probably. the oldest
and wisest. bird 81 the flock. AT the
least sound il lifts is large head as high
in the air As the long neck will allow.
and looks about on every side. Il any
boa, or hunter j. seen. the whole flock.
with loud screcchings. instantly van
ishcs among the tall water grasses.
When the lamingo sleeps Il draws
one leg up among its breast feathers
and. bending it, neck backward, rests
its head on the middle or is back. with
the beak erect in the air or buried IN
its wing. II Is graceful, rapid swim
mer and flies easily, stretching its long
neck before and its legs behind, like
the crane and stork. Its nest il de-
scribcd BY those naturaIsts who have
been fortunate enough 70 see Il a. AZ
immense heap Of mud and water grasses
in the depths Of some solitary swamp.
where the mother bird broods patiently
for thirty days on her two elistening
white eggs. When the little ones are
Matched they take 70 the water immedi-
ately and swim about IS lively as young
ducks; but they are not strong enough
TO Nv for some months. and not until
they are three years old do they attain
the full magnificence II their scarlet
plumage.
The harmless and peaceful ilamingo
has many enemies besides man. Beasts
o. prey are prowling abroad At night
and pounce upon these birds while they
are sleeping il their marshy homes IL
the great South American swamps the
occlot ID one Of its most formidable
foes. The ocelot Il very small mem.
Der Of the panther family, and Is found
in Mexico and all through the American
tropics. II Il atawny-colored creature.
covered with glistcning black mark
ings. IL has the same habits - otner
members 81 III family, spending tho
day asleep in some secluded thicket:
and roaming the forests q night ana
early dawn In search Of birds and small
animals. -- Harper's Young People