Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1894-10-02
A F.ArnIRGp SAMSON.
MARyElous FEArs or STRENGTH rER
roRMEp nv A cArTiyE NAcAw.

They have a lot of wonderful animals
az the Zoo, but the most wonderful OF
all lust now Il q bird. lie IL barred up
behind three layers of heavy wire mesh,
such "a IL used for coal sleeves, and then
this IL hardly enough To relieve con-
slant feeling of suspicion concerning
him. The bird IL q species of the parrot
known as the macaw, aud his native
country L. Braril. The warm breath OF
summer which we have had several re-
cent touche. of seems Ia have Inspired
him with q confidence peculiar tn any
feature that itself erects home. and the
activity Of some Of his exploits has sur.
prl.ed the keepers Of the svisry a. well
a. the officials of the gardens Who have
never had an opportunity of seeing the
maoaw on his native heath.
lie has only been In this country =
short time, say. the Philadelphla Tele-
graph, and until few DAYS ago had
sole possession of one of the row of
cage. along the eastern wall OF the
svlary. In an adjoining cage wer. q
fock ~ tAlkAtlye but pesccful cocka-
tco., with feathers n white s snow.
lie observed them with comparative
indifference for q time, but . few nights
ago be decided to make them neighbor-
ly call, aud now the garden IL one cock.
atoo less In Ia group of specimens OF
winged creation. How II happened no
one knew until the next morning, when
the mscsw was found In the cocksioo
cage, sitting comfortably on perch.
while beneath him lay q dead cock
In the pit. The other cocksioo. kept
themselye. a. far az possible out of
sight In corner. Three bars of thick
wire partition between the cages had
been pulled out to make way for the
maeaw's exit. Apparently this might
have been an easy thing for q man Ia
do. but u Z. doubtful " man could
have done II more neatly or completely.
The macaw was not put back In hl.
cage. lie WAS given quarters In pri-
yatc cage, q stout portable enclosure
about thr-e feet square, With foor. of
galvanized sheet iron, and Iron bars "a
thick a. an ordinary lead pencil. The
bars were supported around the sides
with cross pieces, or stringers of thick
iron. so that their length was not over
six lnche. In any part of the cage. IL
wa. though, that the maeaw was pretty
safe In that kind of q cage, but to make
Assurance doubly SURE he was placed Ia
q small room la the corner OF the sviary
and the door closed, which proved
wis. prccautlon. The next morning the
keeper % the aylary nearly fell dead
with paralysis 10 lind the msca~ at
large, pcrched quietly on the top OF 4
feed box. The box was empty.
With his Jaw dropped With consierna.
ton the keeper. Who had charge OF all
the birds that ever came there In the
twenty years of the gardens existence,
stood aud surveyed the scene. The bars
on the heavy Iron cage had not been
pulled out a. In the larger cage, but
they had been bent and almost broken,
leaving space large enough Tor The
macaw 10 make his exit. How he did u
IL still q puzzle for the Geological
society Ia solve, II not puzzle for
good mechanical engineer familiar With
the tensile aud other properties Of Iron.
The keeper who found the bird first
felt the bars With his fingers Ia see "
they had been made out OF soft
metal by mistake, bat they were not.
Then be- 20, pair of plumbers plyers
aud tried to bend them straight again,
but he had not force enough In his
wrist 20 40 IL. Then he at down aud
wiped the cold Precipitation from his
face aud looked st the mscaw witha sus-
plcion that the bird must be supernaiur-
al, while the bird sst as serenely as pos
.ible. calmly returning his gsIe. The
mscav IL a silent bird. lie does not
talk like other parrots.
The keeper secured the window aud
doors aud went for advice and assist
Ance. The macaw IL back In its cage
now. but the bars are stlll bent just ne
he left them. because there IL not pair
Of plyers In the garden strong enough to
straighten them. Around the outside
Of the cage are the layers of the thick
wir. me.h Of the Kind used Ia sieve coal,
hiding the bird almost completely from
view, except at one corner left open to
feed him.
The macaw's feat IL the most astonish.
Ing thing that has been seen In the gar-
den slnce II Was founded. The bird IL
nothing but n parrot Of somewhat ex-
traordlnary sire, being over two feet la
length, and having q head on him prob
ably larger than q big Florida orange
aud an enormous bill for bird. Ills
plumsge l. dark aud rather subdued In
comparison with the smaller parrots.
bat Il Il very handsome. Since he twist
Ell the bars Of his cage the keepers are
wary Ia handling him for fear he will
get his fighting blood up and take
man. finger of, which he IL capable OF
doing.
What will be done with him has not
been determined yet. There Was .
proposition to confine them In the new
bear pit, but Il IL probable that he Will
be- put In an outdoor cage for the sum
mer. where the bars are as thick as those
used To confine the eagles and vultures.
The strength Of his bill is marvellous.
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