Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-01-20

/ 's4ENXM& pulse given by certain
| \[ST}N% public-spirited citi-
| A~L$Z IS zens. No such thing
/ v\SN~S\z will happen as a con-
sequence of the Chicago exposition. Indeed
1t was the practice Of the representatives OF
the government at Chicago to discourage
gifts to the museum. because the present
building Is greatly overcrowded, and there
is no immediate prospect Of funds being ap-
propriated for new buildings. or an enlarge
ment Of the present structure. Only such
rare collections in natural history as were
absolutely necessary to the museum could
| be accepted and these in due time will be
| forwarded and placed on exhibition.
| The Smithsonian this week received sew
| eral cases of the general exhibit illustrat-
| ing North American Birds which was pre-
pared under the direction Of Prof. Ridgway
| This exhibit was a synoptical collection of
| American families Of birds and individual
specimens of rare and peculiar birds from
| all parts Of the world.
| The synoptical collection was illustrated
by individual specimens mounted on pedes-
tails and showing every one Of the 104 fam
| lilies Of birds found In the western hemis-
phere. Most Of these were shown by sew
eral specimens. giving all variations Of
size. age, form and color due to habitat
migration. feed or other local conditions.
| There was also a collection Of birds of
paradise. another of humming birds, an
other Of game birds from all parts of the
world grouped geographically, while a most
interesting collection was one devoted to an
| Illustration and explanation of the confu-
| sion OF popular names. The most inter
esting part Of the exhibit and one that
will be added as permanent part Of the
collections on exhibition at the Smithsonian
Institution were fifteen groups showing
birds remarkable for some popularity Of
| habits. These groups were prepared by the
best experts in ornithology and taxidermy
| In this country and are thoroughly artistic
| and popular as well as scientific. The ac-
cessories are highly realistic. 1t would be
hard to believe that some of the stories
told by these groups are true II they were
not vouched for by the descriptive labels
| that the Smithsonian authorities have at
| tached. Many spectators at the fair had
| misgivings OF their strict scientific accu-
| racy and nothing short of a properly at
tested affidavit by Prof. Langley under
| oath and with the notary's seal on each
| label would have convinced them.
The wild Pigeon.
| One Of the most beautiful of this group
consists of several wild pigeons" or pas
senger pigeons, as they are commonly known.
This bird was a few years ago abundant in
many parts Of the country. The fights Of
| pigeons in spring and fall were among the
great events Of the year. In Michigan and
nestled and Matched their young Their
numbers were SO great that large forests
were sometimes denuded of limbs by the
crushing weight of the millions of birds.
| They fed usually on beech nuts and acorns,
| those of the pin oak and water oak being
| their favorites. The birds shown in the
Smithsonian group are feeding on pin oak
| acorns. The long, slender. iridescent neck
| and plump, bronze blue body will recall to
| those who once knew these birds in their
| haunts the delight the pigeon trapper felt
| when he had sprung his net on the batting
| ground and saw the thousands of heads
and necks thrust up through the meshes.
Strong as the pigeon was In flight 1t was a
| delicate bird, and a single pinch In the
| head between the balls of the trapper's two
| thumbs was enough to end his career. Some
| times two quick -motioned men would be
busy for an hour or two killing single
| catch. Then began the counting into dozens,
| and barrels upon barrels of the birds were
packed In salt and shipped to market AZ
| ter the season the hogs were turned In to
feed on refuse birds. Pigeon men used to
migrate from one haunt to another and
| their bough houses and batting grounds were
common in any region where the birds
| stopped to rest and feed. The pigeon is
| gone-like the buffalo. Mans greed re-
quired but a few years to accomplish his
complete determination. few small nocks
are now and then seen swiftly cleavins the
| that no one knows whittier they go or
| whence they come.
The Sheep Eaters.
| startling piece Of realism is a group
showing the peculiarly intelligent and de-
structive habits of the kea or sheep-eat-
ing parrot of New Zealand. This bird, like
any other parrot, once fed on a purely
vegetable diet and was harmless, II not
a charming denizen of the woods Flowers,
fruits. berries. nuts, were its usual menu.
Before white people appeared on the island
- L.
Quently these parrots could hardly have in
herited the taste for flesh. The set
tiers of course. brought farm animals and
among them sheep. from which they bred
large f1ocks. In the summer the pasturage
on the highlands afforded large range. In
the winter the grasses that cured and
dried on the stalk in the valleys gave
sufficient subsistence for their numerc
mers on the uplands and often stayed there
during the open and milder winters. But
one winter, not long after the white set
tiers went to New Zealand, the cold was
very severe and snow fell to a great depth
on the elevations, as 1t does on the best
high summer ranges in the Rocky noun
tains The parrot came down along with
the other half-starved denizens Of the
heights and began to forage for dear
lifes sake. The settlers were in the habit
Of killing sheep. dressing their carcasses
and hanging them out doors, where in the
dry air they would keep all winter, and a
large supply was usually to be seen swung
up in row on a pole laid across two
crotches. At every mountain cabin in
Colorado or Montana nowadays the trav-
eler will see the same custom shown in a
line of deer carcasses thus hung I'M for
the winter. The hungry parrots soon dis
covered that the fat around the kidneys of
these sheep was good to eat and they
took that as their share. The next winter
was not so severe and many f1ocks of
sheep remained on the uplands
| The parrots were soon observed clinpino
with their strong talons to the wooIIv hacl
Of the sheep and picking with their sha IN
bills at open wounds In the flesh of the ami.
NAL just above the kidneys The sa cinus
| birds had remembered the good meals Of the
| winter before and their memory told tba,,
| just how to go to work to get the 90 mo
thing again. Their knowledge Of anatomy
| Is not more wonderful than that NJ tbo
weasel which buries its fangs In the tup,,la ,
| vein Of its prey. or of the dog that alwo We
takes sheep by the throat Still n Is "a.
markable that these parrots should attach
| no other part of the sheep but the Ioins
| Their work was so thoroughly done that
they killed a good many sheep before ths
| shepherds discovered them and began to re.
taliate with shotguns and poison
The Tailor Husband,
The conjugal habits Of birds have ALWAYS
been an interesting study for ornithologists
The gallantry Of the male in feeding the
partner of his winged joys and sorrows dur.
Ing her period Of incubation. the patient de-
votion Of the Mrs. bird and the parental
pride and industry of the Mr.. bird. when