The western sentinel. [volume] (Winston-Salem, N.C.) 1887-1926, 1894-08-16

is one cockatoo less Ia it's group of
specimens of winged creation. How it
happened no one knew until the next
morning. when the macaw was found
in the cockatoo cage. sitting comfort
ably on perch, while beneath him
lay dead cock in the pit. The other
cockatoos kept themselves as far as
possible out of sight in a corner. Three
bars of thick wire partition between
the cages had been pulled out to make
way for the macaw's exit. Apparently
this might have been an easy thing for
q man to do, but it is doubtful if a
man could have done it more neatly or
completely.
The macaw was not put back in his
cage. He was given quarters in a
private cage, a stout portable Enclosure
about three feet square, with "a floor of
galvanized sheet iron, and iron bars
as thick as 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 inches in any part Of the cage
1t was thought that the macaw was
pretty safe in that kind of cage, but
to make assurance doubly sure he was
placed in SMALL room in the corner of
the aviary and the door closed, which
proved wise precaution. The next
morning the keeper of the aviary near
ly fell dead with paralysis to find the
macaw at large, perched quietly on the
top of feed box The box was empty.
With his jaw dropped with conster-
nation, the keeper, who had charge of
alb the birds that ever came there in
the twenty years of the gardens exist
Qnoa and s11rvavnd the gonna
The bars on the heavy iron cage had not
been pulled out as in the larger cage.
but they had been bent and almost
broken, leaving space large enough
for the macaw to make his exit. How
he did it is still puzzle for the zoolog-
ica1 society to solve, if not puzzle for
a good mathematical engineer familiar
with the tensile and other properties
of iron.
The keeper who found the bird first
felt the bars with his fingers to see if
they had been made out of soft metal
by mistake, but they were not. Then he
got pair of plumbers plyers and tried
to bend them straight again, but he had
not force enough in his wrist to do
it. Then he sat down and wiped the
cold perspiration from his face and
looked at the macaw with a suspicion
that the bird must be supernatural,
while the bird sat as serenely as pos
sible calmly returning his gaze. The
macaw Is a silent bird. He does not
talk like other parrots.
The keeper secured the windows and
doors and went for advice and assist
ance. The macaw Is back in its cage
now, but the bars are still bent just as
he left them, because there is not a
pair of plyers in the garden strong
enough to straighten them. Around
the outside of the cage are the layers
of the thick wire mesh of the kind used
to sieve coal, hiding the bird almost
completely from view, except at one
corner left open to feed him.
The macaw's feat is the most aston
ishing thing that has been seen in the
garden since it was founded. The bird
is nothing but parrot of somewhat
extraordinary size, being over two feet
in length, and having a head on him
probably larger than a big Florida
orange and an enormus bill for bird.
His plumage is dark and rather sub
dued in comparison with the smaller
parrots. but it is very handsome. Since
he twisted the bars of his cage the
keepers are wary in handling him, for
fear he will get his fighting blood up
and take mans finger off, which he
is capable of doing.
What will be done with him has not
been determined yet. There was
proposition to confine him in the new
bear pit, but it is 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
Observation-Disclosures Telegraph.