The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1896-08-21
THEY CARRY LIGHTS.
LUMINOUS BIRDS THAT HUNTERS
HAVE DISCOVERED.

The Heres's Powder Patch. which Make
Two Candle Light-Birds Of MsdAsas
car. Triaidsd aud other Places That He
come Phosph--csceus ss VIII.
A belated sportsman returning from
q days sport found himself late in tn
evening ON the edge u Hat OF marsl
which bordered the path The moon has
not risen. and the darkness was SO in
tense that he was Obliged TO move slowly
and carefully. As he walked along. gur
or shoulder. he thought he saw a mum
Der Of lights. some moving. others sta
tionary. As they were in the river bed.
he knew that they could not be lanterns,
and for some time he was puzzled; but
being Of an inquisitive mind he walked
down to the water to investigate. A
the stream was slow running. shallow
one. he had no difficulty in wading in,
and soon convinced himself that the
lights were not carried by men, and
were either ignes fatui or from some
cause unknown. To settle the apparent
mystery he crept as close as he could,
took careful aim and fred At the dis
charge the lights disappeared; but. keep
ing his eye on the spot where they had
been he walked quickly TO it. and
found, TO his amazement, q night heron,
upon whose breast cleaned the mysteri-
Gus light The sportsman told me Of
this incident. and. while had often
heard Of the light on the heron's breast,
l never before could find any one who
had personally witnessed the phenome-
non; consequently propoundcd numer.
Gus questions The observer saw the
light distinctly; first. at distance Of
at least so yards, or 100 feet There
were three lights upon each bird-one
upon each side between the hips and
tail and one upon the breast. He saw
the lights Of at least four individuals,
and was so interested that he observed
them all carefully, and as to their in
Iensity stated to me that each light was
The equivalent Of two candles, SO that
when he aimed he could see the gun
light against it,
As TO whether the bird had control OF
he light. he believed that it did. AS he
Jaw the lights open aud shut several
lines a. he crawled toward the bird,
md he stopped when the light disap-
,eared and crept on when it came
again The light did not endure long
Ifter the bird was shot. fading away
almost immediately. In color the light
vas white and reminded him Of phos-
'horescent wood
Stories Of luminous birds have been
elated BY sportsmen occasionally, but,
o far as know. exact facts and data
ave never before been obtained ON this
most interesting and somewhat sensa.
ional subject. A friend in Florida told
ne that he had distinctly seen light
moving about in a flock of cranes at
light and became satisfied that the
light was upon the breast Of q bird.
mother friend informed me that ON en-
aring Q heron rookery at night he had
istinctly observed lights moving about
mong the birds. {
That herons have peculiar possible I
ght producing apparatus is well
nown. These are called powder down {
s:ches and can be found by turning up Z
be long feathers ON the heron's breast, I
here will be found patch Of yellow, !
reasy material that sometimes drops
q or fills the feathers in the form Of I
elbow powder. This powder is pro- I
uced by the evident decomposition Of
Ne small feathers, producing just such |
substance as one might expect would
ecome phosphorescent. as there is little
oubt that il does
The cranes and herons are not the
My birds having these oily lamps. il so s
e may term them. A Madagascar bird, '
Med kirumbo. has a large patch ON /
sch side Of the rump The bitterns :
ave two pairs Of patches, the true her '
% three, while the curious boat bills G
ave eight, which, il at times all lu- a
Iinous would give the bird a most (
not to say spectral. appear a
,ce at night o
Some years ago party OF explorers 3
,tered large cave on the island of
that had hitherto been consid- Il
ed inaccessible. To their establishment h
'ey found il filled with birds which n
Arted about in the dark in such num- q
II chat they struck the explorers and Il
ndered their passage not merely dis
Ereeable. but dangerous The birds
owed to be night hawks known as oil
rds, and IN great demand for the oil =
ey contain. and it is barely possible U
at these birds are also light givers "
he powder down patches Of the oil o
I'd are upon each side Of the rump. u
As to the use Of such lights to q bird O
ere has been much conjecture, but il %
thought that it may be lure to at ID
act fishes Thus it is well known that q
hes and various marine animals are !
tracted by light. and heron standing o
otionless in the water. the light from n
breast If equal to two candles, v
ould be plainly seen for % considerable Q
stance by various kinds Of fishes, who q
build undoubtedly approach within the u
sch OF the eagle eye and sharp bill Of a
Q heron. and SO fall victims to their y
rSOxlty IL this il "a truc solving NJ tho II