The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1894-12-16

panther, 10 feast on the game ~ Stays for fun.
The shepherds say they watch these birds when
hunting panthers, and where a number Of
them gather somewhat exoitedly, they In
variably find = panther hiding near the
dead carcass Of some animal. Both kinds Of
birds, too, have the faculty Of seeing when an
animal OF any kind lie from any cause so near 10
death az to be unable 10 defend itself, and so
gather To tear the u nfsrtunate beast to pieces
while yet alive. In the old days. when Punta
Arenas in the straits was a convict station, the
prisoners often escaped 10 the desert singly OF
In twos or threes. Hardy ones were known to
work their way at times TO the Argentine with
the aid Of Indians or even alone, but the ma
jority fell by the way. Their fate was pitlful.
With the lack Of food and the gnawing Of
thirst, their strength gave way until they could
but stagger on with faces to the north. And as
they staggered came shadows. first, circling over
the sand about them. Then the shadows be-
came substance in tho form of black
winged condors and white breasted vul-
lures Of fierce aspects and an eager hunger
for living human flesh. The unfortunate
would rouse himself to shout and hurl stones
at this devllish host-for n time with success,
but sooner or later he would stumble and fall.
and then they came and tore him to pieces.
AS the shepherds watch the %vultures when
looking for psnthers, so the prison officials used
TO do when out on the trail of an escaped con-
Wet. An old resident of Punta Arenas told me
that on three occasions he had seen the convict
hunters arrive just in time to rescue the run
away from the beaks Of the %vultures. and once
they arrived when too late, because only a little
more than the skeleton Of the runaway remained.
There are two hawks. one the peregrine falcon
and the other n marsh hawk, that are notice.
able because OF the terror they bring to tho
breasts of all other kinds of birds but one
whenever they appear. One need only to see n
marsh hawk swoop down over a swampy place
to learn how thickly inhabited the spot may be.
Although to all Appearances, in the presence OF
man only, not a bird had been there, the mo-
ment the hawk is poised overhead there will be
seen n rustic in the reeds and grass on every
side. while the quick cries of fear and notes OF
warning will fill the air.
These hawks are the panthers OF the air, for
they worry and kill for the delight of creating
terror and of slaughter. They kill many that
they do not eat, while the pereErlne, at most,
eats the flesh only from the heads and necks of
its victims.
Remarkable rs II must seem TO the reader.
parrots are found In the forests 1T the Andes rs
far south AS the heads of the Gallegos River.
They can be taught to talk, too, and are, In fact,
very much like tropical parrots in all respects.
They exist in tho Rio Negro region in great
i'Nso' hhNiNs WV NV Nhi ~ |
great numbers, and, in fact, this region is nota-
BILE for the number and variety OF its birds.
There Is but one species Of bird there. they
that does not fear the feathered cats OF the
and that Is a species which one naturally
would not expect to find in Patagonia at all-the
humming bird. II does not seem to be n region
of flowers and honey. but both flowers and
honey are there. and so, too. are several kinds of
humming birds In the summer season. In Punta
Arenas the people show n greater interest in
than the people Of any town, taken as q
whole, l ever saw. Every house has n window
garden, and many houses have large bay win
dows and special rooms devoted to flowers that
are carefully cultivated the year round. In the
until snow comes in the fall the
beds in the yards about the houses are
a delight to the eyes of all as well
as a wonder in the sight of a traveller.
noticed many hardy plants common to the
flower beds of New York, and very likely Yam
kee seed merchants do business in Punta Arenas. \
II not then they may do SO II they will. This
region, where Sarmiento's colony starved and
froze to death. has become n land Vt flowers. and
with the flowers have come the humming birds.
Certainly these tiny birds must have traversed
The desert l.200 miles long to temperate Buenos
before flowers were cultivated on the
Strait of Magellan, but now they come in focks,
me may say, and with their flashing colors
the air OF summer. as the flowers do the
black mould beneath.
As has been said. let the Yankee tourist who Is
lover OF nature visit Patagonia, IL only to see
md study the birds. We Americans generally
Isk when something is proposed for us to do
whether 1t will pay. am not sure that even n
Yankee could make money out of a tour through
his desert, but II any one has made his pile high
nough so that he can afford to so away and see
ONE other mart of the world. let him tra vel out