The Palatka daily news. (Palatka, Fla.) 1884-1888, 1888-02-24
THE PENDULUM BIRD.
The Wyoming Clock Bird Ticking OF the Time at
Sunrise, Noon and Sunset.

LANDER, w. T., February 10.
1t has been the writer's recent privi-
lege to closely observe the habits of that
rare and curious specimen of feathered
tribes, known as the Wyoming clock or
pendulum bird, the opportunity of such
observation occurring on a hunting ex-
petition with Jack Gavlor. The old
hunter led us straight INTO the haunts of
the pendulum bird what Wyoming
Mountain haunts does Hunter Jack not
know, by the way?) and we observed at
our leisure.
exclusively confined to the rather mar
row radius described by the spurs and
ridges which shoot off from the main
Wind Mountain range to cluster about
the sources OF the Papoagir, as dillgent
inquiry on the part of your correspond
ent has failed to locate it elsewhere.
The Wyoming pendulum bird is what
its name indicates--a natural time
keeper, measuring off an hour at three
different periods OF the day, with the
regular tick, tick, tick of the clock or
watch, and sway of the pendulum.
This feathered freak of nature, in gen
eral appearance and characteristics, APP
pears to be combination of quail and
snipe. 1t is considerably larger than the
quail of our boyhood days, vino so mu-
sically announced himself as Bob
White, and indeed, in size, the pendu-
lum bird nearly approaches the pleas
ant. In color it is coal black, with I'M
der feathers of such soft and thick tex
ture as to almost deserve the name of
down, while its sturdy legs are feath-
cred to the toes. In body it is plump
and round as eminently becomes "a quail
and is furnished with long and pointed
bill which just as eminentiy becomes
snipe. The bird is active of foot (as
well as of wing, and 1t is singular and
laughable to see it moving about on the
ground with its short quail-like neck
sporting the incongruous attachment of
the long, snipe-like bill.
To this long snipe-like BILL however,
the pendulum bird of the Wind Noun
tains owes both name and fame 1t is
the most important, as it is the most pc
culiar portion of the birds anatomy To
that long bill is attached the natural
mechanism which enables the pendulum
bird to measure off the hours and
proudly pose as the time keeper of the
Wind Mountains. This bill is some four
inches in length. On the under and
near the point of the lower mandible
rests a hard. ball shaped substance
about an inch in circumference, and
in this ball is found the pendu-
lam of the feathered keeper Of
time. Three times during each day does
the curious metaphorphosis from a bird
to clock take place, viz: at sunrise, at
noon and at shutdown. As the sun rises, |
as ne attains his meridian, and as he |
sinks to his fall. the pendulum bird re-
spectively seeks some high perch, usI- |
ally the loftiest limb of a tree. prepara- |
tory to business. The hard ball on the |
under side of the bill slips quietly and |
easily from its place and hangs sus-
pended by a stout, cord-hke ligament: |
then sways backward and forward the |
pendulum in regular rhythmical move |
ment, and on the mountain air comes |
the tick! tick! tick. by which the hour |
is exactly and plainly marked off. |
Though close investigation has bet n |
made it has not vet been discovered |
whether the tick" accompanying the |
pendulum belongs to the pendulum |
movement or whether it is a vocal effort |
of the birth itself. 1t is probably the |
latter. as the sounds is very loud and |
distinct (as clock-ticking goes). so much |
SO, indeed, that when dozen or more of |
these birds are marking time at once the |
listener has little difficulty in imagining |
himself in vast and aggravated watch |
and clock emporium.
While keeping time the pendulum |
bird is deaf and blind to all else. attend |
ing strictly (as every well regulated pen |
dulum should) to the business on hand |
the bird cannot, or will not, |
break the enthrallment of its own rhyth- |
mical-if slightly monotonous-melody |
The spell the bird thus LAYS upon it |
self is very often a fatal one as while |
wrapt in the discharge of its singular |
duties the poor timekeeper is readily APP |
preached and slain. In almost every |
instance2where the pendulum bird falls /
a victim to the hunter it ticks its own |
death knell, as, generally speaking, this
quail-snipe is possessed OF a most alert |
and robust Judgment in regard to the |
danger limit. Therefore las the flesh of |
the bird is highly esteemed) as soon as
the well known tick, tick, resounds
through the mountain ferns the hunter
generally abandons all other game pur-
suit until he has satisfied his longing for
a delicious quail-snipe fry.
The pendulum bird breeds in all re-
spects like quail, though the eye can
discern no difference in the appearance
of the male and female BIRDS Ii nests |
on high ground. and makes perfect |
glutton of itself in devouring the many
and delicious varieties of Wind Noun |
tain berries. On the other hand, il also
largely affects marshy spots az feeding
grounds, and uses its long bill with |
snipe-like agility and persuasion IL, cap
turing and manipulating the unlucky
worm and the baGly victimized water
spider.
Lovers of the curious approaching the
bizarre can thoroughly enjoy themselves
by visit to the Wind Mountain haunts
Of Wyoming pendulum bird. 6. R. c.
He Never Ate Good Home Made Rreaa