The Opelousas courier., 1895-02-23

nv the hunter, as 1t is not good for
food, and is useful in killing snakes.
The ''road runner has no representa-
tive in the east, and but one type in
Mexico.
The California woodpecker is known
to the S~paniards as "carpintero," or
carpenter; SO called from his continual
hammering on trees. The ''carpintero"
is always at work on the nut-pine or
silver-pine trees to be found in the
foothills Of the coast range. These
trees are his storehouses for winter
food, and until the rainy season his
shrill hammering is heard, drilling holes
through the bark, into each Of which
he puts an acorn. Each carpintero Sc
lects a tree, and when he has finished
drilling a sufficient number the tree
locks as though 1t had just recovered
from an attack Of smallpox. Then the
c~arpintero flies away to the nearest oak
tree and returns with an acorn in his
cast-iron bill. The acorn is driven into
the hole with remarkable tightness,
and then he flies away for another.
The rains wet the ends Of the acorn
and grub worms wedge their way into
it and eat the kernel and grow fat.
While this crop is maturing, the car
pintero is in his hole in some dead tree
not far away, taking it easy. When
hungry he ventures out of his winter
quarters to his commissary department
and eats-the grub-worm. Sometimes
he encounters the digger Indian"
who wings him with a boomerang.
The nut-pine has a large cone, which
the Digger Indian eats for food, and in
quest Of this food he incidentally wars
upon the woodpecker. 1t is one OF the
prettiest birds inthe west. It's plumage
is Of steel-blue. varied with red. black,
white and yellow. He is something of
a weather prophet, not only from his
habits of storing away food, but from
a peculiar cackling sound which he
utters just before the beginning Of the
rainy season.
The cactus wren is peculiar to the
Colorado desert. It builds it's curious
and unusually large nest in a cactus
thicket for safety from it's enemies. It's
nest Is INTELLECTUALLY woven Of desert
grasses somewhat in the shape Of the
present style of mutton-leg sleeves
worn by the ladies. This nest, large
enough for half q dozen birds of the
size of its inhabitant, is laid horizontal
ly on the cactus bush, and thus ap-.
proach to it is difficult to a stranger.
The cactus wren is a singer, but has
only a few loud ringing notes, clear,
sharp and musical, and it's concert is
never of long duration. This is about
the only life of the barren cactus sec
tions it inhabits. and the sweet notes
amid a desolation is a striking CON
trast. 1t is larger than the eastern
wren, of brown color, the breast white
and spotted It's counterpart is The
Tyre bird.
The ~oriole, the little songster of which
poets chant, is seen in southern Cali
to its greatest advantage. Its
brilliant orange plumage, black beak
and black wings with a white spot in
each. form a pretty combination and is
perhaps to a greater advantage in
bright, clear atmosphere. It is
as the hooded oriole'' from a
little tuft of feathers on his crown.
They swarm in the orchards and
gardens and hang their little nests
amid the vines and roses that cluster
the houses. They are sweet
and seem to neve tire; neither
loes the listener.
The COW blackbird is different, from
;he eastern species. and will not visit
he seashore. The female is locally
.alled 1.-THE tramp because it never
its own nest. preferrin- to Law
IS eggs In other birds nests. Whether
t claims the hatchlings is a mooted
question. The male is black with
,urplish tints, the head and neck
octy. It is a train robber on a small I,
Gale. accompanying the freight trains
through the desert for hundreds of
picking up grain. They also
conr the fields when grain is being
own. and make it interesting for the Z
ranger. Their notes are harsh. but ,
somewhat melodions when they
ing in concert. as in some human
When they cannot set grain.
hey ST Grub worms /
The purple finch. d specie OF the
2 act, Ike the leopard, changes his