The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1882-08-24
Queer Uses of Birds.

DId you ever see candle made mt =
bird? l suppose not, unless Won bsss
been in the Farce Islands, and yerc ,, ~
people visit their lovely shores ~.
inhabitants of those islands live 4 s. =
very simple and old-fashioned wav ~
nearly everything they use is ! bor ~
made article. Thousands Of sea .hi,5.
build their nests on the rocks there Ana a
the young birds are las fat as butte s,.i y
The islanders take thess Young h;,,i.
run wicks through their bodies unf;;
they are soaked with grease. licht ors
end OF the wick, and there 8 YOUR HON,
made candle. 1870
Another kind Of bird is used r. All
tralia as substitute for .consectionerv
It is a species of parrot called lorav
which feeds on fruit and grain, and IA,
a place in its throatawhere all the swee.
parts of the things it eats collect nj
form a kind OF honey. As soon a IS
Australian savage shoots one Of thass
birds. he puts its bill into his mouth
squeezes its throat, and sucks AWAY ;pet
as boys do with oranges. Then he nbIls
the feathers out and sticks them II, iii
hair. and after that he takes gthe-biri
home to Mrs. Savage. TO be cooked
Perhaps. when Mr. s. is in d particular.
ly good humor. he brings alorav or fwo
home to his woolly-headed family with.
out first extracting all the 4 nice part .,
In a great many cities OF tropical
America black vultures Cor turkey. baz-
yards, as they are commonly called II
this country do the most important
part OF the street cleaning. They te.
vour everything they find which would
be liable to decay, and so they keen III
pestllences. or. at least prevent, iheir
coming from that cause. It is apainat
the law to modest the buzzartis Il nv
way, and, as they march around tie
streets or sit at their ease in.sthe mn.
shine, they seem to. be well aware that
they are city officials, and If quite 4
much importance as the Mayor himself
In China, tame cormorants are used
to supply the markets and the tslbles IL
their1owners with fish h,Rings II
placed on their necxs, loose enough b
allow them to breathe, but too ti9Iit ii
admit of their swallowing. Then thsyI
are taken to fsh-pond or stream.
strings are fastened on their legs, and
they are allowed to {. 90 a-fshino.'
They dive and bring up the fish, sid;
while they are struggling violently IA
swallow what they have captured, they
are drawn to the shore by the stfA9,
their prey is taken away afrvm them.
and they are sent in to try again.
When the baskets are full, the rings ire
taken off, and the cormorants nrp IL.
lowed to do little extra work on kheiir
own account. If human laborefs wer66
treated in this way, there, wonh cer.
tainly be trouble, but, as far as known,
these feathered employees have never
strike.
1t is no longer the fashion to uso
hawks and falcons as bird.killerS hut.
are, made to do duty as letter
carriers, and at the siege 81 Paris they
formed the best means of commuuicas
ton with the outside world. ThirtJ
miles an hour is the usual rate Of Their
speeds and they sometimes travel eyen
faster. The bird s object in making the
journey Is to get back to its young
squabss from which it istakea await
fore being employed in this way; and,
as it IS kept in dark place and withods'
food for eight ior ten hours before being
let loose, it no doubt considers tia
point from which it is sent good pIscS
to get away as soon as possible. 81 8
The use of birds are .stOo numerous
% mention. The most important d
The many good things that they do foE
as is to keep the worms and insects, th6t
destroy vegetation. from becoming tdg
numerous. s. sas...... ~. $500
II all the birds should suddenly did
meal and flour would soon become yeiy
scarce and high, and thousands Of peoss
pie would starye. Boys would fird thai
heir fathers couldn't afford to gissE
hem much money TO spend, and every.
hing would be dsarer then it is now
Leaving out such rob bers as the crowx
birds are among our best friends ana
children who Kill Them and rob their
nests. 'sjust for fun. y do a CREST deal 1l /
harm to themselves and everybody else: 7
Some time ago, an association q
: Bird Defenders was formed among
American boys. and girls, and thil i
honorable society is one OF those which
certainly ought to live long and prospes Z
Golden DAYS. as:sss
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