Milford chronicle., 1896-06-19

and Mexico and has set up a string
cif granite monuments all the way from
Ill Paso westward to San Diego, on the
Pacific ocean, since September, 1892, it
has been the means of giving to the
scientists of the world much valuable
information.
The most fruitful results Of the
scientific expedition were those among
the birds and animals. DR.. Edgar A.
Alearns, u. S. A.. had charge OF collect
ing ornithological and mammal speci-
mems in the progress across the deserts
and mountains and through the Coco
pah Indian region. The doctor and his
assistants collected nearly 1000 speei-
mems Of curious life. and they have been
busy for weeks in arranging the enor-
mous collection. The doctor has packed
his specimens in San Diego and has
gone on to the Smithsonian institution
with them, expecting TO put in some
two years in classifying them and put
ting them in shape for the information
they win impart to naturalists every
i. where.
Snong other birds making their last
stana4ii the Cocopah mountains before
the advance of man is one Of noble size
-. bird that, as a strong, powerful and
graceful flyer, is the peer of American
birds. It is the California vulture. In
size it is large than the South Ameri-
can condor, that king Of birds in the
cloud-touching Andes. Few of these
birds are left in California, and they
are not numerous even in that part OF
the Cocopah mountains traversed by
DIR. AIearns. 1t has been remarked that
the California vulture is a cowardly
bird. but the members of DIR. Mearns
party do not think so after observing
lone of these vultures fight rattlesnate.
1T was in the early morning The big
bird had seized the snake behind the
head and was struggling upward with
Its writhing, deadly burden. The
snakes captor appeared aware that its
victim was dangerous. The burden was
heavy, as the reptile was nearly five
feet long. The great pinions Of the
lvulture waved rapidly as it slowly as
Icended from the mountain mesa. Al
though large in size, these vultures are
mot as strong as they appear to be. Up
and up went the bird and the rattle
snake.
The grip of the bird on the snakes
body was not OF the best. The snake
seemed to be squirting from its cap
tors talons at least sufficiently to en-
liable it to strike at the great bird. The
triangular head of the snake was seen
Ito recoil and dart at the mass of feath
ers. 1t did this once CT twice, and then
with a shrek the Yulture dropped its
prey. The bird was then probably 500
feet or so above the observers. The
iastonished men below were then treated
ito a spectacle seldom seen anywhere.
Few birds but vulture could accom-
lplish such feat. The instant the snake
escaped from the birds clutches It
dropped earthward like o shot And
like a shot the bird dropped after it,
icatching the astonished snake in mid
lair ere it touched the ground with
lgrip that caused death. At any rate
the snake ceased TO wiggle, and the
ivulture scared away TO a mountain
lpeak to devour its hard-earned meal.
why the snake lid not bite the vulture
land cause the death of the bird can
only be explained by the fact that the
thick feathers probably protected the
lbiped's flesh from incision by the rep
tile's fangs.
These vultures are closely allied to
the common turkey buzzard. Their
color is a glossy black, with patches Of
white under the wings. The greater
tpart Of the neck is bare, like the turkey
lbuzzard, with a rufile where the feathers
begin. There is a bright orange patch
on the head A fair-sized specimen Of
the California vulture is four feet high
land weighs about 20 pounds. Years
Iago, when these huge birds were com,
mon, it was familiar sight in the val- |
lleys to see California vultures and buz-
yards feeding on the same carcass in |
perfect harmony, while occasionally a !
raven would join them. These vultures |
were frequently caught alive, when
lgorged, by a larias in the hands of .
lcowboy. One cause of the extermina- |
ltion of the vulture in California has
been through the medium of poisoned |
lmeat, prepared by ranchers to Kill pes /
ltiferous animals The breeding habits |
lof the yultures are practically unknown.
although it is supposed to nest in caves
Tor cliffs, like the turkey buzzard. Ow |
ling to the practical extinction of the |
tbird, its eggs are as rare and valuable /
as are those of the great aux, and viii
lprobably become more valuable. Some
ia perfect eggs of the great aux are in
tcollections, one Of these eggs being
worth 1900 or more. Only two eggs Of
THE California vulture are known to ex,
ist Even the national museum at
Washington does not possess one Of
these valuable specimens.
Observations of bird life at different
places along the route Of the boundary
survey, which sometimes took the nat.
uralists into the mountains, were Of
rare interest. at one point along tho
shores of u small lake many dead birds
were seen. These birds were known a,
the feared grebe." The bodies of the
! birds found within the limits of given
distance were counted, and the number
of dead birds about the shores Of the
entire lake was estimated at 100000. Il
was thought that one of the two causes.
or both combined, must account for the
death of so many birds. Either the
water, which was saturated with sail
and soda, was in some way injurious IL
them, or, remaining to search for prop
er food, which did not exist in the
lake, they became so weak as to be IN,
able to fly and died Of starvation. Iii
said by old guides that this tremen
dous bird mortality occurs at this par
ticular point regularly every year
Los Angeles Cor. Philadelphia Times.
Infant Curiosity.
A careful mother had impressed
upon her little boy the necessity OF
ejecting the skins Of grapes, and few
days afterwards she told him the story
Of Jonah and the whale
'eIhe whale is a very large monster"
said the mother, "and he swallowed
Jonah"