Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1893-02-19

canafy-birds Their wings nave = lev
dainty white feathers aud thei sihHii,s
g. marvellous The savaneros a.N
lightful inhabitants Of the shorter 1uulh
with dark prucc-hr0wu tenthef-' w
cutely notified clinging CLOSE 10 Wy
frame; and their CHEEKY chatter Pr en,,
loss Other frcducntprs of the slouhu
aud grasses about plantation houses nlc
the iotises and the chnchinguacos'
They are alike black, and IN their re-
semblance to the American blach-bHa ~
form and movement. Both are lnelOul-
uus bat noisy They flock iu great mum
hers and cry "l[l-ee-ing.- H-ec-ing -k-
ce-ing" with the rhythmic modulatlohs
Of silver bells. First, the totises souhg
their triple notes. with rising scale, as III
questioning Then from hundreds OF
hidden places answer is made W. descenu-
ing scale. by the chinchnEuacus. Inc
notes are almost identical simply re-
verscd. A singular fact is that when thc
former sing their tails spread laierqily'
and the latter. pprpendicularly hou-
sands at one time will flock about these
chimes until the din Is often startling.
The cabreros are between the mock
ing-hirl and canary In size. Hid are very
beautiful They are a notified black.
yellow and rcd IN color. One of thoir in
tbcsting characteristics is 10 eat sO freely
as 10 barely enable them 10 remain upon
branch Of shrub. when they twittpr aud
sing with wondrous aud plaintiyc sweet
hess. Two dainty species are the tome
grimes del pinar and the pOrcrus. Both
ere much smaller than the smallest cn-
nary. aud but u triile larger than the
huuming.bird For its size The former
has the most striking pumnge Of all
Cuban birds With Robin Hood jacket
of brightest green. It's breast Is set with
"a silver crescent, while 81 leaning black
plumc-like comb surmouuts It's tiny head.
IT, notes are similar to those OF the
American robin. bat with more of the
piccolo n them than the llltc.
The piorcra Is smaller wi,h a black
nnd-Whitc back 4 white breast aud a red
neck lie is an incrssiut singer with q
pretty variety Of thrilled notes. But the
zOrulcs are the bufloOns of these pluntu-
ton ohoristcrs. They are the size of our
wreus. of ash color notified with black
aud yellow. with yellow BILLS and feet.
Their impish activity is astounding DIFF
icriug from The crow, magpie and mock
ing-bird they possess many of the quAli-
ties of each; though their gihcs, tuvnts
und teasing seem directed against other
birds, rather than humans. Their imitu-
tive powers are marvellous They Will
mock the NOTE, oil ull sOng-Eiris 20 a
nicely of tone and mOduOtiuu and their
range of mimirry reaches To- fair imita-
ton of the Whiuurying of q Horse. while
their stucy prluks are supported by
more thnu bruyldu. for while each is
confirmed blrrator iu bird strife. the
uscpls are without exception mduunted
lighters.
\ curious incident of great industry
having almost les origin. and crrtiinly
deriving its necessary PHYSICAL support.
from Childrpus game. came 20 my
toticc recently in Labrador. This game
is called copy II Is similar under It's
peculiar conditions to that of your own
children when they boistcrously follow
Your leader
Il is indeed o wild and dangerous pas.
time, but Is heartily encouraged by
purents, as being at the basis of all sue
cess IN seal hunting. When the ice be-
gins breaking up in March all Labrador
and Newfoundland children hail the ar.
rival of their annual pluy-spel with
Joyous delight. Copying consists In
lcaping from one floating slab or pam, of
ice tu another. The most daring of lead.
ers are selected and the sport Is fol-
lowed with tremendous vigor so long as
the iiOntng ice remains. It's utility lies
In its cducatlyc power. The very cs-
pcrtnes' and bravery thus cngendercd
are the supreme requisites in youth and
men MS seal hunters
~ INV HlNNlt hl tue NNIfuM straits OF
Belle Isle, between Newfoundland ard
Labrador. stands weird dpSOmtr Belle
Isle itself, The first mnl sighted on the
grewsOme coast There is lighthouse
on IFS southern hpadlNud, but no other
sign of human hubitutOn. The island
~ simply q tremendous nunulith of stOiIe
ulnc miles long and three broad rising
precipitOusly from the sen at the outer
entrance OF the strait. with not nu iota
| of verdure upon lbs iron-likc sides and
| top. | once sailed close enough 10 Belle
| Isle i3 little schooner, TO supply It's
/ aud some comforting American tobacco,
| which prompted this rcmiuiscencc from
/ the skipper of our craft.
| Yes he said lmminUtiyely," only
| once q year any government vessel lands
/ there, and the storms are so terrible that
| every time we sailors pass we dr,nd 10
| look up there, fearing the light'us III be
! blown away. Eaw hard does the wiNd
! blOwf Well | cant rightly give We the
| ylocty, but ! can furnish facts Twenty
! years ago N | we'll remember him-n
! keeper named Vaughn had charge of the
light Ne got sort o haukerin' arter
! green things Awful foolish. hut tvus
] hart 20 get anybody 10 stay there at all
| 50 they lpwcd his schcme for u gardng
| They took hull boat-loads of soil up there
| n made him q gaidiHg ~ acre big
| Nothin would grow on il, but he liked 10
| Nlk w IT, Ilhh ~ AiIt fNtNlU "a Within
! sort of storm riZ, n sortrr kept risin' an
night When Vaughn pokcd his head
| out in the moruin hc rouldn't see the
! gardiug nowhere. He didn't know ar
! fust, but he was lcetlc confused his,
! self an climhod back an took his hear.
| ms but Their was no gardng nowhere
! corJain. That tOrundcr had Jest yauked
| up the hull sile an spilled il an over III
| La ic. Vaughn had spcrlt he lid. lie
! Wolliut stand that SO he threw w
the job an took TO shown seals"
! A few year, since | found a lighthouse
! keeper In still greater misfortune than
| the Belle Isle keeper who lost hi, garden
! This was while coasting among the BAHIA
! ma Islands tt was nc Double Shm
| Head keys at the edge of the grarH banks
| of Bnhanlu, which you would pass were
| You crossing the banks Cubawnrd. M Won
| entered the Gulf of Mexico. II il
| dangerous spot Ia navigation low. upIy.
| looking drenry, and iuis out of the Sen
| Snyagely, The English government las 81
lighthouse here. A half dozen men who
make salt, and the lighthouse kecper
| anl his Wit, are the only souls Who
| have existed here for a score of years
| The woman Is q character. In Emo.
| lNhd she was such shrew that I'M
government finally took cog,is nncc of her
powers OF home and ncighborhood ruin
and provided her husband. who was n
/ b. a.