Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1890-04-08
DESERET EVENING NEWS.
VENOM IN A BIRDS BEAK.
A CURIOUS SPECIMEN OF NATURAL
HISTORY FOUND IN NEW
GUINEA.


The Rev. II. NJ. Masterson. who
has Just returned from New Guinea,
where be has been for the last seven
years as missionary from that city,
in a recent conversation with Phil
adelphia Times correspondent, told Of
a most remarkable bird he had seen
in that country. The bird. which is
called 10y the natives the rpir n'dOob,
meaning the bird Of death, produces
by its bite a madness ending in
death. They are very rare, and are
fast disappearing as the country be-
comes more civilized.
Mr.. Masterson had no opportunity
Of personally observing the effects
Ofits bite, but was credibly informed
that the victim is almost instantly
seized with violent pains in the
member bitten, which pains soon
spread over the entire holy, but are
especially excruciating in the bow
els. Loss OF sight follows and rush
Of blood to the head. The limbs
CULVER convulsively, and a white,
offensive frOth breaks out of the
mouth. A sort of frenzy takes pos
session Of the sufferer, in which he
shrieks and hOwIs, occasionally
laughing uproaTiously, and capering
to his own chanting or singing, un-
til his strength is exhausted and he
sinks TO the ground, when he be-
comes unconscious and rigid in
every limb, with his teeth firmly
locked as in tetanus.
Mr.. Masterson describes the pair
as small and about the size of the
common pigeon, but Of a slenderer,
longer built, and Of a peculiar gray
plumage lacking entirely the glossy
appearance of feathers Its tail Is
extraordinarily long and russ 10 a
sharp point, ending in a bloOd-red
tip. No other color is to be seen
when il is not in flight, but the ex-
tended wings show bright yellow
beneath, sometimes varied with an
intense lusterless black. Its bill is
very powerful, though thin and
long, and is perfectly straight, ex-
cept at the end, where it curves
sharply with an abrupt dip. The
fee are coal black and resemble
somewhat those Of the African par
rot, hut have very short nails curv-
ing almost into fish-hooks.
This singular bird is TO be found
only on the reedy shores OF the low
/ lying lakes Of New Guinea, which
are often only immense stagnant
ponds or marshes. The eggs are
laid in the Shiny, moist earth, close
10 the waters edge, and are most
beautifully variegated, being of a
rich crimson, dappled with blue,
gold and white, but are very small
and perfectly round. The male Of
the rpir n dOob has no note, but the
hen which is considerably the larger
OF the two, gives peculiar, long
drawn cry, which has a piercing,
melancholy sound, and which is
Repeated at shoit intervals.
The rpir being very awkward
and CAPABLE Of only short flights OF
two or three yards, can be caught
without difficulty, but is letseverely
alone by the Papuans, who say that
no one has ever survived its bite,
there being no antidote, and death
always ensuing within an hour or
two, when the body shortly turns
purple and becomes much swollen,
decomposition speedily setting in.
Mr.. Masterson succeeded in snaT-
ing one Of the birds and confined it
in a cage, intending to bring it
home as n curiosity, but il pined
away in captivity, literally starving
itself to death, rs il refused to par
take Of any food whatsoever. I'm
acquainted himself with the art Of
taxidermy, the missionary found
no in that country capable Of
preserving il for him, so he was
forced TO throw away the specimen.
Mr.. MastersOn regrets that his
knowledge Of natural history was so
slight as 10 forbid Of his learning in
what the binds venom lies, but
gives as his opinion that its bill is
hollow and charged with the deadly
poison This poison seems giveB
merely as n means OF defense, for,
as nearly as the gentleman could
tell from his limited opportunities Of
observing 1.-THE bird i lierblyorOus,
feeding on the tender young shoots
Of the reeds and flags.