New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-06-10
EYES LIKE OPERA-GLASSES.
now NEGROES CAPTURE BuzzARDs ALIVE IN
FLORIDA.

aThavs n buzzard, IN ordinary American bu71ard.'
said New York ta1dermst to reporter whose h'eh'
on had been attracted Nv a stuffed bird In tho window
about the sire Of an ordinary hen turkey "IhcS re
common enough in the southern States. especially In
Florida where caught that one myself ono winter.
wanted 10 capture one alive and Dogro boy showed
m. how 10 Do It. We took boards and fenced In n
sqnare Of land about as big as an ordinary dhhe
table We made the fence about five feet high and
then threw pig which had died from disease Into The
centre Of the enclosure After that we retired TO the
cover Of some bushes about fifty yards away ana began
10 scan the Sky for our buyzard.
"Thcre was no buzzard In sight and they are not
very plentiful anyway but the darkey assured me that
one would arrive before long. lie said bnzzard
would smell a dead animal twenty miles away. !
told the boy that probably did not Know as mnch
about catching IA buzzard alive rs he did, but knew
that the bird did not smell carbon at any great ds
lance: he saw it. The boy did not believe me when
explained 10 him the perfectly well known TACT That
the buzzard has an eye Ike an glass. lie can
screw II in or out 90 to speak, and fit 1t to the dis
lance across which he wants TO look at any object
That's a handy sort of eye 10 have. Isn't 1t!
THE eyeball Is surrounded by horny plates which
move slightly on each other Tho muscles al inc
hack Of the eve nrc 80 arranged that they thrust
the centre Of the ball OF the eye ont IN mont ana
the pressure OF these horny plates keeps the whole
eve from being pushed ont also. Tins the eye
assumes n cone like appearance from the outside By
rc,oxng this pressure and eIer!ng these muscles In
,he opposite direction. the front Of the eve can be
made fat BY this means the buzzar can. While
aying at great height. sweep the ground with his
telescope eye in search Of carbon and rs he ap
proaches the earth keep adjusting his sight -
that he sees the desired object plnnly. even when
II is under his very beak. However as said before,
tbc negro boy stuck TO his theory Of smell
.Dcrc's one now he said. pointing up toward
the sun In vain ! looked and strained my eyes TIL
they strenmcd with tears. could see no buzzar'.
Deere he Is sure enough repeated the barley Hes
smclt de pork and he's acomin' fer IT. by and by
| was able b. discern n black spcck far up In the
blue which was describing great sweeps and circles
AS II came slowly nearer without making The least
motion o. rs feathers. II fascinating to watch
| that calm. confident swift. Silent motion and
cnvIed the creature his marvellous power and wanted
TO exchange lives with him til l thought OF the
dinner OF deCayed pig We lay closer and after he had
thoroughly inspected the country all about Tor
enemies, he Topped down on the pig and began to
tear II. lie evidently had not had a meal for long
time for he simply gorSed himself ms we hoped he
would DO
| "Now when buzzard Is gorgcd, he cannot rise
straight up in the air, he has got to make run Tor
II and rise up an imaginary inclined plane, Hike TAT
Goose rising from the water We knew this ana had
provided the convenience Of the greedy bird nice