Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1890-04-03
THE LAUGHING JACkASS.~
The Remarkable Bird That UsherS
in the Day in the Weird AuStral-
ian Bush.
4 Travellers Interesting Account Of
Its Habits and PeeuHarihcs An
0rnithological Curiosity.

After a two-days' stay in sydney fresh
from the long sea voyage / started. incom-
pany with an uncle for a 900-mile night
I journey up country, says q correspondent
OF the Newcastle Chronicle. shall never
forget that journey Our way lay over the
Blue Mountains through heavily timbered
country most of the time and amongst
wildly grand scenery Myfelow passeu-
ger We're old hands at travelling, and of
course, were quickly snoring in their
blankets. do it now. Left alone with
the night home>ick q bit and lonley /
watched the weird white trunks of the
gum tree fitting past like long rows of
ghosts rs the light from the lire and
lamps OF the engine danced and twisted
! serpents-hke amongst themn the darkness.
And here il may be remarked that 20
realize the utter loneliness and weirdness
Of the Australian bush, mooulit or irelit,
| 1t must be seen and felt Later on i'm the
| lournce an almost full moon came
out. and there from the top OF the
mountains. softened and still. could
be seen on either hand, bathed in the
! silyery light, wild crags and deep gorccs,
with the mystery 0i the dark bush. pall-hke,
! smouding the far-stretching country. fad
ing away into mist For hours watched
the scene, wondering and speIlbouud To-
ward morning drovscd and dreamed of
ghostly surroundings Half asleep and
| half awake, ! was suddenly reused with a
start 10y a long, loud and to me unearthly
peal of laughter, that was dying away in a
| chuckle as pulled myself together
| Where the sound came from ! know not;
but ! verify believed that one of the tree
phantoms through which had all night
been travelling vas mocking me. Some of
my companions we're 10y this time awake
so told them of my experience, and ask
ed them it they heard the laugh They
treated my inquiry with an al-rouud
| hearty slde-Shaliug and then followed
with a good-humored chatting ON my
| new chummineSs | at last tumbled W
TO the situation. II was no ghostly laugh
ter had heard; ! bad quite forgotten the
laughing jackaSs, and here he was vel
coming the day, which was Just breaking,
and at the same time was giving me "a
Jolly welcome to the Land Of the Golden
Fleece.
Since that first handshake jack and !
have become much better acquainted, and
| have had many opportunities of proving
that he Is of substantial flesh and blood
and no mere spirit OF laughter 1t is no
scientific or exhaustive description can
give of my bird friend, bur only few
fugitive notes jotted down whilst he and
rubbed shoulders, working or hoIdaying
on a bush section back In the Orange dis
trlct of New South Wales "Daceo glcoS
has had enough of scientific decribers, but
not so many DISORDERS of his home life
so that a gossip in homely line many not
perhaps. be altogether unacceptable to
yom readers.
True to his nativity, Jack, like many
other birds, plants, animals and things
Australian in general, Is, in the Old
World point Of view, a sinister tleit.hand-
ed) arrangement, He is true kngiisher,
yet lives, breeds and laughs in trees, seems
to care not a cent for the water and It's
inhabitants A fine manly fellow be looks
as he Is seen sitting on CUNT tree or fence,
or winging his way through the bush or
across the open in that undertaking,
wedge-like manner so characteristic Of our
English kingGsher. There is, however,
this difference, that, whereas the kuglisher
always Skins low and travels with darting
motion, Jack takes a good middle course
and flies with a strong leisurely action,
reminding one Of a cushat hielng home at
its LATEST from some pea field or corn patch
on an autumn evening Solid and sturdy
withal is he, q massive head being set on
by { short neck to a wide, athletic pair Of
shoulders and well-knit body, supported
by legs more remarkable for strength than
length which terminate in tlattened and
somewhat hollow claws, nicely adapted for
walking on the larger limbs of trees. where
the most Of Jacks time is spent Next
TO the voice the most distinguishing feat
ure of the bird Is its beak. II Is of ire
mendous dim anslOns the thickness Of a
sizable whip-handle at the base and taper
ing to a'fne sharp point whilst the powers
Of striking and nlpplng that appertaln toI
it are something phenomenal. a great
dreamy brown cye gives proportionate
finish to the head. ack's head il adorned
with movable crest, which, when laugh
ing, when angry, or alter having bolted
his food, is raised making rs wearer look
quite tall and fierce; at other times it lies
hattened As 10 dress Jack AN by no
means vie with his English cousin
who darling past IN the sunshine
might be taken for o winged prism
YET ~ NftJh a NtlY iiHA anu
seryiceable suit The head, and about
one-fourth Of the back, the breast and
under parts are white none TOO white
prettily notified, especially the breasts
with a light shade of brown Up the
middle Of the forehead 10 near the top,
and from the base of the bill on each side
to just beyond the ear run broad bands Of
dark greyish-brown. These patches give
a most pleasing effect, making jack APP
pear as if he wore a broad white hood
with the skirts Of it hanging over his
shoulders. dark strings being attached at
each side, and a dark band running over
the top to relieve the mon1tony. The
wings and back are a deer grey-brown
with few white feathers catered about
on the wing and SHOULDERS The wings
are short reaching little beyond the base
of the tail. The tail it.eIf is long broad
and stiff. notified red end black Ike that
Of the wiudhover and terminating with a
band Of white tips.
Nothing in the shape Of mice and such
like small animals. snakes. lizards, beetles
ana insects with the Larvae 81 the latter,
comes strong to the bird in its wild state;
and when domesticatei Jack considers
strips Of raw meat. providing the meat be