Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1886-04-15
SOMETHING ABOUT BIRDS.
Those That Can Swim as Well as FIy-The Curk
Gus Snake Bird.
New York Herald.

New York Herald.
Prof. Bickmore began his lecture at the
Natural History museum with q few words
about feathers, which he explained, were
divided into contour or outline feathers
and down or the fluffy protective feathers.
Without further introduction he plunged
into description of the prominent birds
OF the class selected for discussion, each
one or which was accurately reproduced
IN Its natural colors by line steropticon
views thrown upon the wall
One of the rarest birds of which a speci-
men Is kept at the museum is the great
aux, which is about the size of goose, is
found north of Cape Cod, and is noted for
its thin, .grooved bill. These birds were
so plentiful in Nova Scotia when the set
tiers first landed that they were knocked
over with sticks and their breasts slit off
to extract oil, but it is most difficult now
to obtain one. OF the same general spec
les is the putin, large communities of
which are found in rocky places on the
east coast of Main. The putin has thin
razor-like bill, so thin that you hardly see
it at front view, but which appears enor-
nous from the side.
Among the group of birds all of whose
toes are united with web the pelican is
prominent. This genial creature goes
through the water scooping into his large
sack under his bill all the fish he can CON
yeniently hold. 1t then rests until lunch
time, when 1t tips back its head and al
lows such quantity of fish as it wishes to
drop down its throat. Then there is the
snake bird, which travels long distances
apparently under water, but which in re-
ality keeps the tip OF one nostril Just
above the surface The little trOpic bird,
too, is a curiosity. Until lately his home
was uever known and he was supposed to
live and die wayfarer. But in reality
the tropic bird has very comfortable
quarters, in the soft rock cliffs in Bermuda
where the female deposits each year one
egg. The tropic bird has two long tail
feathers which are so many times the
length of his body, and he is credited
with peculiar sharp and discordant cry.
Like the gulls and Mother Carey's chick
ems, the tropic birds are met with at sea
and follow vessels waiting for something
to pick up. These birds never appear to
rest as they are generally on the wing,
but they do, in reality rest. Another
bird of this sort is the albatrOss, whose
great extent of wing enables it to put
out sails, as it were, and fly without APP
parent effort.
The cormorant, greves and mergansers
are also sea-faring birds, living sn fish
and exhallng very strong and unpleas-
ant odor. The greves have their toes
lobed and separate, and the mergansers
have popularity of BILL there being
SERIES of projections which fit into each
other and allow the bird to sift its food.
The professor next described the wild
ducks and geese, the pursuit of which is
10 oil crht Of
the canvas-back duck is very near the
back of its head, while the crest of the
red-head makes its eye come in about the
middle of the head. The sheldrake is
very gayly aprareled duck, and the Lab
rador duck, twenty-five years ago SO
plenty, is now a rarer bird than the great
aux. The elder duck has that beautiful
down a iher breast which is so much
sought after for quilts. When the first
quantity of this in the nest of the young
is stolen by natives, the female detaches
down from her breast to keep the young
warm. This, too, is stolen, and then the
male detaches his, and after this protec-
ton is afforded the ducks try law.
The geese and swans are of the same
general family, and are distinguished
from the ducks by the greater length of
neck and the much greater number of
vertebra. The geese, like the ducks, fly
in large coveys, and enjoy the society of
their species.
The professor described some of the
most popular methods of shooting ducks
and geese, and he also showed some of
the long-legged birds, such as the famin-
goes and heron, explaining their necessity
for long legs to wade in deep water, and
the necessity of correspondingly long
neck to reach down and fish for their
prey.