Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1890-04-24
A VENEMOUS BIRD.
1t is the Size of Pigeon and is Called
''The Bird of Death.

The Rev. r. NJ. Masterson. who has
just returned from New Guinea. where
he has been for the past seven years as
missionary from this city, in a recent
conversation with the Times CORES
pendent. told of most remarkable
bird he had seen in that country. The
bird, which is called by the natives the
Rpir N'Doob, meaning the bird of
death, produces by its bite i madness
ending in death. They are very rare,
and are fast disappearing, as the country
becomes more civilized.
Mr.. Masterson had no opportunity of
personally observing the effects of its
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 en-
tire body, but are especially excrucia-
ting in the bowels. Loss of sight fol-
lows and rush of blood to the head.
The limbs CULVER convulsiyely, 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 bowls, occasionally laugh
ing uproariously, and capering to his
own chanting or singing, until his
strength exhausted he sinks to the
ground, when he becomes unconscious
and rigid in every limb, with his teeth
firmly locked as in tetanus.
Mr.. Masterson describes the rpir as
small and about the size of the COM
mon pigeon, but of slenderer, strong
er build, and of peculiar gray plumage
lacking entirely the glossy appearance
of feathers. Its tail is extraordinarily
long and runs to sharp point, ending
in a blood-red tip. No other color is to
be seen when it is not in flight, but the
extended wings show bright yellow be-
meath, sometimes varied with an in
tense lustreless black. It's bill is very
powerful, though thin and long. and is
perfectly straight, except at the end,
where it curves sharply with an abrupt
dip. The feet are coal black, and re-
semble somewhat those of the African
parrot, but have very sharp nails curry
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
the immense stagnant ponds or marshes.
The eggs are laid in the Shiny, moist
earth close to the waters edge, and
are most beautifully variegated, being
of rich crimson, dappled with blue,
gold, and white, but are very small
and perfectly round. The male of the
which is considerably the larger of the
two, gives peculiar, long-drawn cry,
which is repeated at short intervals,
but continuously.
The rpir being very awkward and
of only short flights of two or three
yards, can be caught without difficulty,
but it is left severely alone by the
Papuans who say that no one has ever
survived its bite, there being no anti
dote, and death ensuing within an hour
or two. when the body shortly turns
purple and becomes much swollen, de-
composition speedily setting in.
Mr.. Masterson succeeded in sharing
one of the birds and confined it in a
cage, intending to bring ii home as a
curiosity; but it pinned away in cap
tivity, literally starving itself to death,
as it refused to partake OF any food
whatever. Unacquainted himself with
the art of taxidermy the missionary
lOulu liz one Ill llc COuutIy I'd 1dolS VI
preserving it for him, so he was forced
to throw away the specimen.
Mr.. Masterson regrets that his knowl-
edge of natural history was so slight
as to forbid of his learning in what the
birds venom lies, but gives as his
opinion that its bill is hollow and
charged with deadly poison. This
poison seems given merely as means
of defense, for, as nearly as the gentle
man could tell from his limited oppor-
tunities of observing it, the bird is
herbivorous, feeding on the tender
young shoots of the reeds and water
flags. -PhiL0deJphja IGmcs