The morning call., 1891-11-15

here the nests were placed-bunehes of
wead, seed eie ted from the mouth and
refuse of various kinds, forming heaps from
eight to ten inches in diameter ana from
three to six in height, resembling a Dutch
cheese in general appearance.
These ball-like nests were attached or
balanced on the wall wherever an oppor-
them to obtain the eggs. while the birds
dashed about them, whirling this way and
that and utteriug their weird cries, which
added to the strangeness OF the surround
ings.
For nearly an hour the hunters wandered
about, examining the nests and obtaining
both birds and eggs; then the ominous roar
of the waves suggesting that retreat was
necessary, they watched their chance and
shot out Of the narrow opening. barely
grazing the top, and on to the blue open
waters of the Caribbean Sea.
This bird is known to the natives as the oil
bird, or guareharo, and to science as Polar
gus. The common term Is given on account
of the abundance OF oil found in the young
birds, the Indians catching them for this
purpose and using 1t as We use butter. 1t
was formerly supposed that the bird was
confined to this island, but it Is now known
that they are found upon the mainland Of
Venezuela aud Peru.
In general appearance the birds resent BILE
the night hawk or goat-sucker. and having
generations, it has become instructive with
them to go there; hence the superstitious
natives believed that they always lived un-
derground.
The oil bird Is by no means the only one
that makes its home beneath the ground.
Caves in various parts of the world afford
protection to feathered nest-buiiders, while
larger numbers form small cavelke homes
for themselves. The subterranean homes
of certain birds, especially petrels, are a
prominent feature in the Antarctic regions.
where they fairly honeycomb the ground,
so that hunters in walking along have fallen
through into the nests and upon the eggs
and the young.
In Kergueens' Land the hunter, If he de-
sires certain birds, as the prons and petrels,
must arm himself with howell as well as a
gun, as the birds burrow i'll the ground like
rabbits. The diving petrol is particularly
interesting. darting through the water in
tiocks with all the speed and agility of an
aux.
When the ship Challenger visited Kergue-
lens Land the men were in the habit Of vol
unteering TO go ashore in squads and dig for
birds and eggs. Here the prion was found
that formed tunnel as large as a closed fist,
the eggs being deposited at the farther end,
three or four feet from the entrance, far
enough to making digging necessary.
Here, too, is the burrow of the mutton
bird'-in size the same as pigeon. Its bur-
row is six inches or more III diameter, end
ing in a chamber, generally round in shape,
with an elevation in the center upon which
Is placed the nest proper and about which
there is room for the bird to move.
Digging for this subterranean dweller,
known scientifically as Oestralata Lesson,
is by no means pleasant pursuit, as the
birds resist capture In a most forcibie man
ner, attacking the digger often with such
energy that the sharp upper mandible Is
driven through the hand.
Another pafraI naIIa6 ha aly ,iybt
hawk" by sailors. is extremely difficult to
capture underground. by reason of the
depth of the burrow, which often extends
two or three yards downward. A curious
feature is that the mouth of the opening is
always near pool of water, though why it
would be difficult to tell.
We need not 90 TO these distant islands to
find feathered earth-dweilers, as in our land
there are several familiar examples. In
Southern California we find several owls
that live in holes in the ground, as the
writer frequently discovered when. riding
over the country. The burrows are often a
foot across at the opening. and run down
for several yards, so that 1t requires no lit
tie labor to dig oRt the nest which is at the
further end.
Sometimes the owl shares his burrow
with rabbit or some other animal, and it
is well known that the owl and the prairie
dog have been discovered In the same nest
In this Instance the owl has presumed
upon its four-footed friends-a trick CON-
mon with many South American owls that
are burrowers, and who can find other ami
mails to do the work.