The Palatka daily news. (Palatka, Fla.) 1884-1888, 1885-10-20
BIRDS OF BEAUTY.
An Hour with OrnitholOGist-H Hut
ming Birds Wonderful PIumsye.

ne catalogue Oh the Smithsonian III
stitution and the National museum con-
tain record of l05, 900 specimens which
have been received in the pathological
| department. There are now on hand in
| the cases aud chests, in which are stored
away the pathological wealth of the
museum, s., 600 specimens. OF course,
there are many birds of the same spe-
| cies. In addition to the type specimens
preserved for exhibition and study,
duplicate collection is maintained, and
| besides that, there is always on hand n
large stock known as the reserve collec
| ton, used in making exchanges, by
means of which the museum is enabled
to get rare birds from collections in
other countries
Mr.. Robert Ridgway, the ornitholo
gist, is now engaged i'll completing du-
plicate collection of North American
birds, with the view of having always
on exhibition in the museum complete
collection. In the cases in Mr.. Ridg-
ways gallery and work-room are 80, coo
specimens. The collection of North
American birds, which takes most Of
the space, is the finest of its kind in the
world. Next to it is the collection of
South American birds, which is rated
as the second best in the world. A
private collection belonging to wealthy
gentleman in England, who spent much
time and money in perfecting it, and
recently presented il to the British mu-
scum, Is considered as the finest collec-
ton of South American birds. Central
and South America are especially rich in
birds, as about one-third OF the known
species of birds in the world have their
habitat there. The department under
Mr. Ridgway's care comprises, also a
very full collection of birds from the
Old World.
These birds preserved for study and
comparison are slowed away in nat
cases, which in turn fit securely. one
over another, in tho rows of drawers.
Upon each drawer is placed lid or top
of glass, the sash or edge of which is
fitted with tongue, which drops into a
groove in the edge of tho drawer max
ing a perfect protection against the in
vasion of insects. The insects love to
get at a dead bird, just as the tabled
donkey took pleasure in kicking at the
dead lion. The bird-hunter secures the
skin of the bird, preserves its head. plu-
mage and legs complete. The profes
sional collector skins bird very neatly,
so that it can be mounted by the taxi
dermist with very little trouble When
the skin is received by the curator it is
filled out with little padding of cotton
and placed away in its proper case. \
complete record is kept of each specimen
received.
If it is desired to mount the specimen
the dried skin is sent to the room of the
taxidermist, Mr. Marshall There il is
buried for two or three days in damp
sawdust, and when it is resurrected
the skin is soft and pliable. The IN
mounted specimens, however, with
proper care may be kept for years, and
are just as valuable to the scientist as
when they are stuffed and postured by
the taxsrmidist. Some of the Speci-
mems of North American birds in the
collection belonged to Audubon, and
were USED by him i'll making illustra-
tions for his work on birds. The hum
ming birds form one of the most attract
i've parts of the collection to one who
looks at it from the aesthetic stand
point. There are $50 kinds of hum
ming birds known. While they differ
widely in size and appearance, they
bear a resemblance structurally, and
have similar habits, feeding upon honey
and insects.
The collection comprises nearly all
known kinds, from the giant humming-
bird of Mexico, which boasts of proper
tiOns nearly as great as those of the
robin, to tiny humming-bird of ia
maica, scarcely more than an inch long.
There are humming- birds with bills
longer than their bodies, which they
use in extracting honey from deep
cupped flowers, and humming- birds
with no more beak than an ordinary
wren. Many of the different varieties
of humming- birds are distinguished
only by the marking of their feathers.
The colors are rich and gorgeous. The
crown, throat and breast are marked
with topaz, gold and ruby, in the most
iridescent
A popularity of some of the birds
which Mr.. Ridgway pointed out to the
reporter is that you can only see one
color at time. When the throat or
breast is thrown back at a certain angle
the first color seen disappears and an
other comes to view. The feathers have
a sheen or gloss like Furnished gold or
gems, and in some cases are so nearly
luminous that the colors become more
pronounced in a dark place than in the
twilight. In every variety where this
gloss or sheen exists, except one, the
gloss becomes visible only when looking
at the bird from its front. If the bird
was flying from one the colors would be
dull and lusterless.
Nearly all the South and Central
American birds are conspicuous for the
richness of their plumage. The teath
cry gorgeousness reaches its climax in
the royal bird of the A1tecs, magnii-
cent creature considered to surpass the
famed bird of paradise in grace and ex-
quisiteness of color.
The markings of birds differ very
strangely sometimes, and form the only
distinction between two varieties. In
Ecuador, for Instance, one variety of
humming- bird, marked in peculiar
way, is found only at a certain eleya
ton on the side of Chimborazo. Upon
neighboring mountain, at a certain
elevation, is found another humming
bird the exact counterpart OF his Chin