Telegram-herald., 1888-03-07
BIRD OF THE STEPPE
How The eUsrAao IS TAKEN
Peculiar hsoits ef Caa0tox Member Of
ths Ostrich f2niiy-4bs >kT@oze OisA-
bssaty ~ haea Headers a. -. k2sy
Capgiss-asapisss slcGiaa.-

the Ostrich f2ntfy De sSF&oxe Dfs4-
sssaty Wh,ea headers "a .. E2sy
C4p9tss-hsapisss sicEiaas-
Tie drschwa-as Russians cal ths bastard
-sa gr1s blTd af ths s1epfe. High grounds
have 40 attractions fer t. and - loag a. tie
weather i open i scoFns the shelter Of roed
and underwood, camping cut, Ike veritabls
Donlz-a, On fhs ksLre steppe, aud nesting ia
the open, where il can tad plenty q grass,
Of Wklch b. ths Nay, IL eea ear eaoEm01s
quantities. Towards tie middle Of Noven-
Der q great proportion Of the birds migrate
and do not return until thc end Of March,
but large numbsrs remain behind and winter
Ia TIE more soutberly parts OF Russia, IL tue
region stretching from the Dneister and
Dneiper right away 70 the Don and even ths
Ural Why 80 many Of the birds should re-
sist the migratory instinct when their fel-
lows wing their way to warmer countries, Is
question which oTniIho.ogists have yet 70
settle
Bastards are not gregarious birds. Rarely
are more than ten or twelve Of them 10 10
found IN any one locality. On the other hand,
the creature is neither quarrelsome nor com
batlve; II IS not given TO hghting al pairing
time as other fowls are. Moreover, il Is an
extremely cunning bird, and knows almost 10
a nicety how far fowling piece viii carry.
A farmer and a farmers wagon may come
within a dozen feet OF It's nest, and il viii
take no notice OF either. Let a sportsman
show himself ia the distance, and IL is out OF
range IN an instant. There are ordinarily
only two ways Of bringing down your bird.
One is 70 hide in a hay wagon and drive
within range; the other % obtain a pipe
made out Of the gristly windpipe Of an OK,
lie down in the long grass, and initiate tbs
call of hen buStard The male is a very
uxorious creature, and cannot resist the cry
OF It's mate.
In winter the birds are found associated in
larger numbers-as many as eighty or hun
dred together. But this does not arise from
any desire for companionship, nor nave tho
fowls any common purpose TO serve in so
associating. 1t is due 10 the simple fact that
the area within which food IS 10 be had be-
| comes more and more circumscribed as tho
| weather gets colder. And II is 10 be observed
that the parties composing the flock never
| mingle IL from any cause such body,
| eighty or a hundred strong, he disturbed. it
! will instantly break up into three or four dis
! tinct troops, III which every individual ap-
| pears to know its place. If, again, one Of
| these smaller divisions Of twenty or thirty
be pursued, the birds viii separate into par
ties OF ten or twelve, each batch making off
in different direction.
STRANGE DISABILITY.
In ordinary winter weather the birds take
shelter beneath the nearest underwood or
brush, and at such times the hunter may
| look in vain for the bustard. But with an
exceptionally strong frost or cold snap last
/ l. - L. -
| sportsmans opportunity. Then the poor
creature falls an easy prey to its enemies, for
| at such times it is subject TO a strange disa-
bility. The feathers of its wings freeze, a
covering of ice forms over them, and the
bird is unable to rise. During the night the
heavy hoar frost that prevails during excep-
tionally cold weather in Russia settles on and
in the wing feathers, binding them together.
In this condition the bird seeks the open, and
passes its bealS through the frozen pinions to
free them from the ice. But if the heavy
frost continue n nig ght and a day, or the bird
be prevented from leaving the brush TO free
itself from the incumbrance, all is over with
| il. The ice crystals still form upon and over
power its wings; the bird sinks from over
fatigue and cold, and the fox and wolf, al
| ways on the watch for this opportunity, find
the bustard an easy prey.
Aware of this, the bustard hunters know
| exactly what to do and when to look for
their quarry. When an unusually severe
spell of cold sets in, or a very keen boar
frost lasts more than day or SO, they make
their preparations. Horses are carefully
rough shod, for the sport is pursued on horse
back, and the ground is as smooth and
slippery as piece of ice. Then in the morn
ing, not too early, the party-four, five or
six strong-starts. Each one goes armed
with whip having a stout handle and a
couple OF lassoes; firearms are not needed.
The most promising feeding grounds in the
neighborhood are, of course, known 10 the
sportsrncn, and they mako for the cover
nearest TO these places Now they beat the
underwood and brush, hallooing and crack
ing their whips. The frightened birds rush
out and try to make for the open. But the
weight of their frozen wings presses them
down; the feathers are covered with ice:
they can neither rise nor run They just
waddle here and there in helpless ungainly
fashion. Crack crack 60 the whips; and
the birds nearest the horsemen fall right and
left, instantly killed by a dexterous blow on
the head with the whip stock Out fly the
lassos, and more distant birds arc struggling
in the moose Where four, five or six persons
| take part IN sucn hunt, feW minutes sur
fee to dispatch fairly large number Of bus
tards; and then a move Is made to fresh
ground.
The buStard, it is curious to note, is the
only bird Of the steppe that is liable to this
freezing OF the pinion feathers in severe
weather; but ducks are often foznd ca tho
larger rivers frozen 70 the ice by their legs
st. James Gazette.