Millheim Journal. [volume] (Millheim, Pa.) 1876-1984, 1882-08-03

Did you eyer see o candle made out
of bird? L suppose not, unless you
have been in the Farce Islands, and very
few people visit their lovely shores. The
inhabitants of those islands live in q
very simple and old-fashioned way, and
nearly everything they use is home
made article.
Thousands of sea-birds build theil
nests on the rocks there, and the young
birds are "as fat as butter" The islam
ders take these young birds, run wicks
through their bodies until they are
soaked with grease, light one end ot
the wick, and there's your home made
candle,
Another kind of bird is used in
Australia as a substitute for confeOtio-
merry. 1t is a species of parrot, called
loray, which feeds on fruit and grain
and has q place in its throat where al
the sweet parts of the things it eats col.
lect and form kud of honey.
AS soon as an Australian savage shoots
one of these birds, he puts its bill into
his mouth, squeezes its throat, aud
sucks away just as boys do with oran'
ges. Then he pulls the feathers out
and sticks them in his hair, and after
that he takes the bird home to Mrs.
Savage to be cooked.
Perhaps, when Mr.. S. is in a particu'
Iarly good humor, he brings loray ol
two home to his wolly headed family
without first extracting oil the "nice
part"
In a1great many cities of tropical
America black vultures (or turkey bug,
yards, as they are commonly called in
this country do the most important
part of the street-cleaning. They de
YOUR everything they find which would
be liable to decay, and so they keep of
pestilences, or at least prevent their
coming from that cause.
1t is against the law to molest the
buzzards in any way, and, as they march
around the streets or sit at their ease In
the sunshine, they seem to be well
aware that they are city officials, and OF
quite as much Importance as the mayor
himself.
In China, tame cormorants are used
to supply the markets and the tables OF
their owners with fish. Rings are
placed on their necks, loose enough to
allow them to breathe. but too tight to
admit of their swallowing. Then they
are taken to o fsh-pond or stream,
strings are fastened TO their legs, and
they are allowed to Ego a-fshing."
They dive and bring up fish, and,
while they are struggling violently to
swallow what they have capturen, they
are drawn 10 the shore by the string,
their prey is taken away from them, and
they are sent in TO try again.
When the baskets are full, the rings
are taken of, and the cormorants are
allowed to do o little extra work on
their own account.
III human laborers were treated in
this way, there would certainly be troub-
le, but, az far as known, these feathered
employees have never organized strike.
1t is no longer the fashion to use
hawks and falcons as bird killers, but
pigeons are made to do duty as letter
carriers, and at the siege OF Paris they
formed the best means of communion
ton with the outside world.
Thirty miles an hour is the usual rate
of their speed, and they sometimes
travel even faster. The birds object in
making the journey is to get back to its
young squads, from which it is taken
away before being employed in this
way; and, as it Is kept in a dark place
and without food for eight hours before
being let loose, it no doubt considers
the point from which it is sent good
place to get away from as soon as posi-
BILE.
The uses of birds are "too numerou:
to mention" The most important o
the many good things that they do fo
us is to keep the worms and insects, thai
destroy vegetation, from becoming toe
numerous.
If all the birds should suddenly die
meal and -four would soon become YER,
scarce and high, and thousands of pe0
pie would starve. Boys would find tina
their fathers couldn't afford to give then
much money to spend, and everything
would be dearer than it is now.
Leaving utsuch robbers as the crows
birds are among our best friends; anC
children who kill them and rob thei
nests, 'jdst for fun," do great deal c
harm to themselves and everybody else
Some time ago, an association O
ird-defenders" was formed among
American boys and girls, and this hon
orable society is one of those which
certainly ought to livelong and prosper