The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1890-04-28
VENOM IN A BIRDS eEAK.
A Curious Specimen of Natural nistor,
Found In New Guinea

A Curious specimen ot NATURAL history
Found In New Guinea
The Rev. r. NJ. Mastcrson, who has
lust returned from New Guinea, where he
has been for the last seven years as mis-
sionary from that city, I'm a recent CONVEX
sation with a Philadelphia Times cores
pondent told OF q 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. pro-
duces by its bite a 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, hut was crcdibly Informed that the
victim is almost instantly seized with vio-
lent pains in the member bitten, which
pains soon spread over the entire body,
but arc especially excruciatinR in the
bowels. Loss of sight follows n rush
Of blood to the head. The limbs CULVER
convulsively. and a white, offensive froth
breaks out Of the mouth. Asort OF frenzy
takes possession of the sufferer, In which
he shrieks and bowls, occasionally laugh
ing up~roariously, and capering 10 his
own chanting or singing, until his strength
is exhausted and he sinks to the ground,
when he ecomes unconscious u rigid
in every limb. with his teeth firmly
locked AS in tetanus.
Mr.. Masterson describes the rpir as small
and about the size of Ia common pigeon,
but of n slenderer, longer built, and Of a
peculiar gray plumage, lacking entirely
| the glossy appearance OF feathers. Its
tail is extraordinarily long n runs to n
sharp point. ending i'm a blood-red Tip.
in flight, hut the extended 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, except at the
end. where il curves sharply with an alb
semble somewhat those of the African
parrot, hut have very short nails, curving
almost into fisli-hooks.
This singular bird is TO be found only
on the rcedy shores of the low-lying lakes
of New Guinea, which are often only inn
mcnse stagnant ponds or marshes. The
cggs are laid in the Shiny, moist earth
close to the waters edge, n are most
beautifully ~variegated, being of a rich
crimson, dapplcd 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 consider
ably the larger OF the two. gives a pecu-
liar, long-drawn cry, which has a piercing.
melancholy sound, n which is repeated
AT short intervals.
The rpir being very awkward and capa-
BILE of only short flights Of two or three
yards can he caught without difficulty,
hut is let severely 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.. Mastcrson succeeded in snaring
one of the birds and confined il In a cage,
intending to bring il home as a curiosity,
but il pinned away in captivity, literally
starving itself to death, as IL refused TO
partake OF any food whatever. unac-
quainted himself with the art of tax
idermy. the missionary found no one in
that country capable of preserving il for
him, so he was forced TO throw away the
specimen.
Mr.. Mastcrson 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 the
deadly poison. This poison seems given
merely as "A means of defense, for, as
nearly as the gentleman could tell from
his limited opportunities Of observing il,
the bird Is herbiverous, feeding on the
tender young shoots of the reeds and flags.