The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1894-07-28
HUNTING PARROTS.
Some Of the Dangers Tint Surround Those
Who Capture Thcm.

SOWC OF inc DungcrS Inuu SuTrouItV InVss
Who Capture Thcm.
The parrot hunter who plunges into
the jungles of the La Cruz river bot
toms in Mexico and remains three
months to make a catch of as many
hundred birds. takes his life in his
hands. He is exposed to waylayine
poems, or laborers: he must ever be on
the alert against night surprise by
wild beasts: he may catch violent
fever and perish unattended. or he may
be eaten up by ormegoes or Mexican
forest ants with bloodthirsty record.
Three hundred parrots are worth, on
an average, fifty shillings apiece, which
is $3.50. From that deduct the wages
of halfa dozen Mexican vagabonds, who
go along as tree climbers, the keep OF
five burros. the freight. and the residue
goes into the pocket of the venturesome
parrot hunter. or the dealer who EN-.
ploys him.
The parrot builds no nest. The fe'
male selects deep hollow in the high
est tree trunks and there lays two eggs.
This occurs about May i. The young
are Matched about June Is. Ten days
elapse before they can open their eyes,
and several weeks must be allowed fol
the young birds to gain sufficient
strength to be removed from the care
of their parents.
The parrot is willy and wise bird.
1t lays it's eggs safely out of reach OF
ordinary danger. and takes good care
not to betray their whereabouts. When
the birds are Matched they are fed
twice day bv their elders, early in the
morning and again about the close Of
day, and this operation usually betray.
to the hunter the whereabouts of hi.
prey.
The birds in feeding their young give
vent to series of contented cluck
and chuckles. which are answered by
the young ones, and which infallibly
indicate to the parrot hunter where ti,
nest is hidden.
No civilized white man familiar with
the danger will himself undertake tc
climb the tree and capture the young
birds.
That is the work reserved for tn,
Mexican poems who accompany him
There is no danger from the paren
birds, but almost every tree is guarde,
by colony of ormegoes, which pene
trate any kind of clothing and vigor
ously attack the flesh beneath it. bein.
known to destroy large numbers o
young parrots.
The suffering of the poems from th
attack of the Mexican ants in their rs
cent of trees in search of parrots, i
sometimes pitiful. Their breasts az
frequently covered with blood. and i,
their agony they fairly tear their cloth
. ing from their bodies and cast then
selves on the ground, weeping an
moaning. Oftentimes the effect is t
, nauseate them, so terrible is their sui
fering. IT, as their master, one Shove
the slightest sympathy for their cond
: tion, they would refuse to go up AGAR
but under the pitiable condition of ser
, dom in Mexico these men are no bette
: than slaves, compelled to do what the
are hidden regardless of life and liml
1t is fortunate if when peon is neal
S ly devoured by ants he is within reac
| ! of water in which to bathe himself an
, assuage his agony. AS the parrot
/ always hatch their young where wats
, is plentiful it rarely happens that til
, suffering peon cannot avail himself {
5 natures palliative at first hand.
: This experience is something that n
!. civilized white man would endure an
: which of fitself deters many jungle hun
t el's from engaging in the exciting spo,
of parrot hunting. ng.-Chicago Times.