The St. Johns herald., 1890-04-17
TRICKS IN HUNTING.
Curious Methods of Decelvine Game Useo
 in the Chase.

Curious Methods of DeceiyinS Game Useo
 in the Chase.
 The hunter in every land has long used deception and ruse to enable him 10 get within reasonable distance of his game. Hunting by initiating the animal to be caught is very common among the natives of many tribes. In Africa we find the curious dwarfs. the Akkas, discovered by pr. Schwein- furth, hunting Ostriches in this man. ner. An ostrich skin is taken and drawn over one of the hunters, who supports the neck either with stick or one arm, a bow and arrow being held ready for use. Fitted in this way the human ostrich moves over the plain, pretending to feed, and imitat- ing the motions of the live birds so well that in many cases they approach closely enough to bring them down with well-aimed arrow.
 A family of these little people, who are not over four or five feetin height, was recently brought to Europe, and in Berlin gave representation before some scientific men of their method of taking ostriches, which was considered very ingenious.
 The ostrich, though stupid, is not always deceived, and an instance is related where one of the birds becom- ing enraged, either at the supposed bird or the hunter, rushed at it and at single kick knocked over the un- fortunate Akka and tore his ostrich skin in shreds while trampling him under foot, and it was with consider able difficulty that the bird was driven of and the bogus ostrich rescued.
 Some curious tactics have to be adopted in hunting the crocodile in eastern countries. One method among the native tribes is to fasten a native baby-a fat, plump one-to a stake near the shore, and when the huge reptiles, attracted by its screams, come out of the water, they are shot. In other places the hunters attach branches to their heads and crawl along until they are within reaching distance. This is often attempted with birds, and the so-called floating blinds are often merely boats covered with branches; the wind taking the latter carries it down among the un- suspecting birds. ----a4--
 Very few animals are caught hn fo,a " markable talents in deception. When herd of elephants is feeding it invari- ably is protected by a guard of watch ful sentinels. So with monkeys. When they are devastating corn field the sentinels are stationed about to give warning at the slightest noise. when the whole band will go pell-mell over the fields in the direction of the forest.
 I have often noticed this among birds. especially the California quail; the moment approached the sentinel bird would pipe up and tell all the rest that danger was nigh. The most striking example of this guardian ship l observed on the Pacific coast, about four miles south of the town of Santa Monica. A mile away saw flock of pure-white cranes. and wish ing to secure one rode up the beach upon the ocean side, there left my horse, and began my walk over the sand dunes The majority of the flock were in a secluded portion of little bay, presenting the appearance from a distance of white sheet upon the dark shore.
 When within an eighth of mile of dozen sentinels posted at various places. Every slight elevation near the flock bore a very wide-awake bird, and my only cf ance to ap- proach them was by hiding behind the sand hills and crawling from one to another. This l did for at least half an hour, making perhaps two hundred feet, and then ventured to look up. I fairly held my breath, as not ten feet away was a beautiful! white sentinel He saw me immedi- ately, gave note of warning, and at the moment the air was filled with waving wings and the long white necks of the birds.
 It is very evident that the birds have a language understood by themselves. This system of placing sentirels is one of the best evidences of it. and shows that our feathered friends are far more intelligent than we general ly suppose. Philadelphia Times.
 The Craze for Ciry Life.