Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1888-03-22
BIRD OF THE STEPPE.
HOW THE BUsTARD Is TAKEN BY
RUSSIAN HUNTERS.

HOW THE BUsTARo Is TAKEN BY
RUSSIAN HUNTERS.
Peculiar Habits Of . Cunning Member OF
the Ostrich Family-The Strange Disa-
biIity Which Renders It an Easy Cap
tive-HelpIess Victims
The drachwa-as Russians call the bustard
is q true bird of the steppe. High grounds
have no attractions for it, and SO long as the
weather is open it scorns the shelter of reed
and underwood, camping out, like veritable
pomad, on the bare steppe, and nesting IN
tho open, where it can find plenty OF grass;
Of which, by the way, it can eat enormous
quantities. Towards the middle Of Novem-
Der great proportion Of the birds migrate
and do not return until the end of March;
but large numbers remain behind and winter
in the more southerly parts OF Russia, in the
region stretching from the Dneister and
Dneiper right away to the Don and even the
Ural Why SO many Of the birds should re-
sist the migratory instinct when their fel
lows wing their way to warmer countries, is
)
settle
Bustards are not gregarious birds Rarely
are more than ten or twelve Of them to be
found in any one locality. On the other hand,
the creature is neither quarrclsorne nor COM
bative; it is not given to fighting at pairing
time as other fowls are. Moreover, it is an
extremely cunning bird, and knows almost to
nicely how far fowling piece will carry.
A farmer and a farmers wagon may come
within dozen feet Of its nest, and it will
take no notice OF either Let sportsman
show himself in the distance, and it is out OF
range in an instant. There are ordinarily
only two ways of bringing down your bird.
One is to hide in hay wagon and drive
within range; tho other to obtain a pipe
made out Of tho gristly windpipe Of an OK,
lie down in tho long grass, and initiate the
| call of hen bustard. The male is very
uxorious creature, and cannot resist the cry
| of its 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 have the
! fowls any common purpose to serve in 50
| associating 1t is due to the simple fact that
| the area within which food Is to be had be-
comes more and moro circumscribed as the
weather gets colder. And it is to be observed
that the parties composing the flock never
mingle. II from any cause such body,
eighty or hundred strong, be disturbed, it
viii instantly break up into three or four dis
tinct troops, in which every individual ap-
pears to know it's place. If, again, one of
these smaller divisions Of twenty or thirty
be pursued, the birds will separate into par
ties of ten or twelve, each batch making of
in different direction.
A 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 q cold snap last
ing more than a couple of days, comes the
sportsman's 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 tho night the
heavy boar frost that prevails during cxcep
tionally cold weather in Russia settles on and
in tho wing feathers, binding them together
In this condition tho bird seeks the open, and
passes its beak through the frozen pinions tc
free them from tho ice. But II the heavy
frost continue a night and q day, or the bird
be prevented from leaving the brush to fret
itself from tho ipcumbrancc, all is over with
it. 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, fine
the bustard an easy prey.
Aware Of this, the bustard hunters know
exactly what to do and when to look fol
their quarry. When an unusually sever,
spell of cold sets in, or very keen hoal
frost lasts more than day or 50, they mak
their preparations Horses arc carefully
rough shod, for the sport is pursued on horse
back, and the ground is as smooth ant
slippery as a piece of ice Then in the morn
ing, not too early, the party-four, i've O
six strong-starts. Each one goes arnet
with q whip having stout handle and
couple Of lassoes: firearms are not needed
The most promising feeding grounds in tn
neighborhood are, Of course, known to tn
sportsmen, and they make for the cove
nearest to these places. Now they beat tn
underwood and brush. hailooing and crack
ing their whips The frightened birds rusl
out and try to make for the open. But tn
weight Of their frozen wings presses then
down; the feathers are covered with ice
they can neither rise nor run They jus
waddle here and there in q helpless unsainl
fashion. Crack crack! 90 the whips; an
the birds nearest the horsenen fall right an
left, instantly killed by de1terous blow O.
the head with the whip stock. Out fly tn
las.os, and more distant birds are struggling
in the moose Where four, five or six person
take part in such hunt, . few minutes sui
fee to dispatch fairly large number Of bu:
tards: and then q move is made to fires
ground.
The bustard, it il curious to note, is th
only bird Of the steppe that is liable to thi
freezing of the pinion feathers in sever
weather; but ducks are often found on th
larger rivers frozen to the ice by their legs
ST. James Gazette.
Rich, Poor, and Middle Glass.
But the rich are happy, Is they judge hal
piness.
That is, they have good clothes, boxes q
the opera, diamonds, teas, dinners, an
;d;ot,c chaffar They miss no creature CON