The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-10-27
ACCIDENTS TO BIRDS.
Some Commit Suicide Accidentally
by Hanging or Choking.
From the Cornhlll Magazine.

From the Cornhlll Magazine
Many strange accidents have occurred
to birds while feeding. An Irish natural
ist once observed dunlin behaving very
curiousy on the seashore. The bird rose
in the air and flew for a short distance
then alighted and shook its head Violent
~ in vain endeaVor to detach a round
lump observable upon its bill. The en-
cumbrance proved TO be a cookie which
the dunlin had found open, and, in in
nocently attempting to negotiate, had
been trapped by it. This kind OF bivalve
accomplishment no less an authority than
Mr. Tegetmier declares to be not at all
uncommon on our shores. A Whitstable
cookie recently bore testimony 10 the vet
eran naturalists assertion by capturing
green linnet by one Of It's toes.
poor little chaffinch was found dead
in the neighborhOOd Of EPSON a short
time ago with its lower mandibe firmly
embedded in the shell OF a beech-nut,
that had become so inextricaby fixed
that the bird had died from starvation.
a hen pheasant was not long since OBJ
served by sportsman flying round and
round in the most unaccountable fash
ion, and on being shot was discovered to
have a large oak-leaf impaled upon its
beak so as to completely obscure its Wis
ion.
Herons sometimes choke themselves by
attempting to swallow large trout, how
large may be judged to some extent from
the TACT that / recently dissected bird
or TINS species in whose nav was a large
Water-rat in perfect state of preserva-
ton. An eider-duck has been killed
through attempting to swallow toad,
and a bullhead or miller s-thumb" has
proved too much for a waterfall, a little
grebe. and a kingfisher. A member of
the last named species was discovered
season or two back in a Cambridgeshre
ditch by some sportsmen, unable to fly
except for short distance, and upon be-
ing caught and examined it was found
ing from it's gullet. AS soon as the fish,
which measured no less than four and
three-quarter inches, was removed the
kingfisher flew away apparently none the
worse for its experience.
Birds that employ hair in the building
or their nests sometimes come to grief
by hanging, but ! should say very seldom
indeed in the following singular manner.
A gentleman who had a number of colts
upon his farm one day noticed small
bird entangled in the long hair of the
tail of one of them. The little creature
had evidently been in search Of material
WhereWith to line It's nest, and by some
unaccountable accident had boone en-
SHARED In the unkempt hair or the colt
tail. Cases Of birds getting their feet
entangled in bits Of yarn or string are
not at all uncommon, especially in the
breeding season, and whenever the vic
tim of this kind Of mishap happens to get
the impediment fastened in tree or
among stones, death is pretty sure to be
the result unless prompt human aid Is
forthcoming. In the spring of the year,
as everybody knows, the dead leaves of
pampas grass fall TO the ground and curl
bench. A Field correspondent mentions
finding a poor robin which had accident
ally got one of these pieces coiled round
It's neck so tightly that it was unable
to feed, and died Of starvation.
Booth describes a very peculiar acct
dent to a kingfisher, thus: while
snipe-shooting one winter round Hick-
ling Broad IN Norfolk 1 noticed some
small object splashing in the water at
the side Of the dixie. and on proceeding
to the spot / discovered an unfortunate
kingfsher that had come to grief In "a
rather singular manner. The bird had
evidently at some former time been
struck by a shot which had passed
Through the upper mandible. This wound
was quite healed up, but a small piece
of the horny substance of the beak had
been splintered, and into the crack pro-
duced by the fracture two or three of
the fine fibers which form part of the
flowers or seeds Of the reed were 50 firm
~ fixed that the bird was held fast. It
must have been flying up the dixie and
brushing too closely to the reeds that
grow on the banks have been caught in
the manner described.
Lieut. Col. Cragie Hslkett, an English
soldier, has not drunk a drop Of water
for twelve years