Waterbury evening Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1887-1895, 1890-06-09
STRANGE PASSENGERS.
Flock OF Migrating Birds AMghts ON .
Shin In the IOnlNn Son.

Flock Of Migrating Birds AMghts ON .
Ship In the IOniAn Sou
One of the most enjoyable little trips
which has been taken for many day
was made by the Scientific Club of
Vienna last autumn. They sailed from
Trieste to Tunis and Algiers, then took
in the Balearic Isles and Sardinia and
Sicily on their return trip to Europe.
One Of the club tells a singular and
pleasing incident which occurred on
board the steamer Mars in the Ionian
Sea
"We were riding upon high sea-" he
related with no land in view. only
sky and water as far as the eye could
reach, having left Corfu the evening be-
fore. What was our establishment on
coming upon deck the following morn
ing to find numerous company of little
guests or bird passengers who had ar
rived some time in the night and were
going to make the journey gratis.
about one hundred little birds OF
heterogeneous species and sizes were
evidently making their way from
Europe to Africa. Becoming weak and
exhausted from their long fight, they
had found resting places on the masts
of our ships. The early morning hours
were, however. too cold for them-it was
a somber, chilly day-so the weak. suf-
fering little creatures flew down upon
the deck. and crowded close toge ther,
stood in the vicinity of the chimney or
crowded near the warm vapor which
radiated from the engine.
ut was there we found them. and n
more motley company of the feathered
tribe could scarcely have been found in
all Europe. Spanish wood chats. bean
birds, black martins, mountain ffnches,
redstarts, common snipe, yellow water
wagtails and many other varieties sat
sadly side by side and warmed them
selves, while their tiny heads hung de-
spondently on their breasts.
"Some of them when revived by tho
heat came across the deck to the passen-
gers and ate the crumbs which were
given to them from the table. Consider
| ing their wretchedness and detection
they grew quite bold after time, even
| venturing at last into the ladies' cabin.
And we soon discovered the reasons for
this growing familiarity.
''Circling high above the steamers
masts were a flock of birds of prey,
| sparrow-hawks, horned owls and hoop
ers, who came closer and closer each
time they circled until finally some of
the most ventursome actually swooped
down upon the deck. The little birds
flew in all directions for protection.
some of them getting almost beneath
our very feet.
"a marksman of our company shot
eleven of these sparrow-hawks, notwith-
standing the uneven motion of our
ship and the constant whirl of the birds
overhead. When opportunity offered
they caught up these little creatures
from the deck. carried them away in
their claws and killed them at once,
either by sticking their bills into the
slender necks or by striking their heads
against the edge of mast But our
sportsman appeared on the scene every
time, like a very Nemesis, and shot the
harpies down. During that entire day
the feathered invalids were passengers
on the Mars.
Perhaps in that time they had re.
covered their strength; perhaps the dis
appearance of the birds of prey en-
couraged them. perhaps they noticed
that our ship was taking them every
moment from their course, due south,
| and that they had made a mistake
enough. at evening they left, in order,
doubtless, to seek the Italian coast or
some Grecian isle. But We will not 5000
forget that days novel episode"