The sun., 1896-03-15
SOME FEATHERED HERDERs.
Birds that Combine to Drive Fiah and In.
sect- Together to Feed Upon.

People who casually glance into national his
tory stories run ul against facts which they
laugh ut rs being the creation of somebody's
fovcrcd Imagination. Even sportsmen's papers
have sco,Ied editorally Mt truthful accounts OF
doings of a bird or animal. few days ago
THE St'S contained on article from the POpulrr
Science No,,S about bird that hcrdcd sheep and
tended fowls like n shepherd dog.
well, that's the stecpcstl" said Brook Ignite
when lie had read II.
"!iow SO 7" was asked.
"Why tho idea of n fool birds tending flock
OF sheep. What everlasting lies they do print,
don't thcy?''
Dogs tend sheep don't they ?" was asked.
"Why, yes. of course. but dogs have brains
and birds haven't"
AS matter of fact. there is nothing dog can
do which birds do not do. and there u good
many things birds do naturally which dogs
have to'be taught to do. Tho reason dog stories
nrc believed. a naturalist says. is that dogs are
familiar companions aud well observed. while
birds because OF lack of observation, are much
less known, and the things they do seem impos-
sible to the novice.
land bird. at least. which are natural herders
swans. curmorants. and pelcans gather in fiocks
ofther own Kind. have confab, then stretch out
In u line across tho mouth OF bayou with their
bills all pointing up the bayou Once marshallcd
in proper form the birds flap their wings and
ulis III water i'ro. anu ihuhe All BUTTS w
vocal sounds. swimming up the bayou all the
time. The first observers of this hnbit thought
the birds were certainly crazy. but after Il while
method WIS observed In the apparent madness.
Then II was called a marvellous instinct
The splashing scared the fish and they fled up
the bayou iuto the shallow water. followed
closely by the birds. While most OF the flock
held the fish IN the shallow water by a con.
tinuous splns hing. two or three OF the birds went
in among the fish and gathered into their
pouches, or crnws, enough for n mess, when they
Joined the driving line and their places were
taken by other birds till all were well fed.
Turkeys. both tame and Wild go along In
curved line. one deep and just clear OF each
other. soaring up the grasshoppers, which fly to
right or left and are struck quickly by the tur
keys IN front OF which they alight.
One or two instances ARE reported where
sTAldEil cranes have done likewise out ON the
prairies. probably they. too. are Eerders.
In this line probably the most extraordinary
feat ts that of several hawks near LAS Anmas,
y. NJ. reported 10y r. L. Webber to the Forest
and stream in March. 1892. \ telephone line
had been run from the town to n ranch some dis
tancc away In that locality the HAWKS are nn-
focks nf small birds there. Getting beyond n
large flock of small birds the hawks come
sweeping toward them in such a fierce way HI
to cause the small birds to rise and flee in terror
before them. In their excitement the small
birds do not notice the wire. and many II one is
driven against it and killed or crippled. to be-
come food FOR the hawks. That the hawks
know what they are about Is shown by the fact
that they do not pursue the birds further than
the telephone wire, or il they do, it is only when
none falls. In this case the hawks endeavor to
get beyond the fleeing birds t" turn them back
toward the wire. much Is cowboys turn
stampedinE cattle.