The morning news., 1894-11-11

another. and by which they ascend to the
hOlIows where the youny parrots arc nest
ing. At the first sign of danger the parent
birds articulate a sharp note of alarm, and
the chuckling and chattering young dedg-
lings as suddenly cease their noise as il
an electric shock had paralyzed them At
ter the capture of their young the old ones
sometimes flutter about camp and utter
this cry of warning, at which the young
parrots abruptly lapse into silence Hunt
ers never try to capture Old birds, as they
do not overcome their aversion to cage
life and seldom learn to talk. Strange as
it may seem, a young parrot is tame as
soon as he is tal-en from his nest, and
apparently is never conscious of the loss
of his liberty. He is not Immediately
put into "a coop TO prevent his escape, as
might be supposed, but 200 or 800 birds
are kept together for weeks without any
restraint whatever by simply spreading a
cane roof over them on the ground, so
that they are protected from the sun,
for parrots are exceedingly fond OF
shade on the Cruz river parrot camps
are not often broken into by wild beats.
as would seem probable on account OF
their exposure. The woods abound in
game and the brutes are not driven to
desperate eXpedients by hunger, yet
hunters must be continuously prepared
for them, as well as be ever on their
Guard against reptiles and Vermin If
their love of adventure tempts them too
far. In their native state the birds
live on mangoes and the nuts of the ebony
tree but the hunters always carry with
them a supply of corn, which is reduced
to a pulpy state by the use of the prim-
itive mattata stone, and is fed to them in
lieu of their native food.
The average parrot hunting expedition
is made up of the hunter, six Mexican
poems and drove Of five or six burros,
which are the chief means Of transport
ing freight in the interior country. They
are invaluable for this service, as they
are cheap, easily kept and capable of car
rying burden equal to their own weight.
In many parts of Mexico wagons are al
most unknown The roads are rough
and burros alone meet the local require
ments.
To secure the right kind of MeXicans is
another matter of moment. The Mexican
of the lower class is a thoroughly improvi-
dent fellow. Being a chronic debtor he
enters into a voluntary condition Of servi-
tlde to anyone who will lend him money,
and remains peon as long as that debt
continues to run. Nearly all the haciendas
in the interior are worked by these poor
serfs, who being denied all social and ed
ucauonal advantages, naturally become
the deprayed and vicious element Of he
country.
The number of persons at the haciendas
where the parrot hunter penetrates who
are above the poems in educational respects
rarely exceeds two or three, the planter
and his children. perhaps Il son who has
had some slight advantages, or a son and
daughter. When poems are wanted for
parrot hunting, the hunter goes 70 one Of
these hacendas and makes n requisition
for them. II they are in debt 10 him the
owner of the place ooes not allow them to
leave the premises until the last farthing
is paid. This done, the hunter stipuates
the amount Of their wages. The average
pay is reals a day. which is cents IN
Mexican and equal 70 "a cents in American
money. He considers himself fortunate
II he secures n gang whose gypsy instincts
do not extend beyond petty larceny 10 rob
berry and assassination. In the charac-
teristic language OF John Jacobs, they
will steal your clothes, but you must ex-
pect that" The majority Of poems have no
more regard for property rights than a
Geronimo Indian.
To secure his catch Of thirty birds, ia
cobs spent about three months IN the for
ests Of the Cruz, hunting about eighty
miles OF river front IN that time he met
but one other American IN search Of par
rots. lie, however. was buying his birds
from Mcxicans direct in one of the larger
cities, and was shipping them 10 New
York Whom the hunter has secured q
SUFFICIENT number Of birds be puts them