The Van Buren press. [volume] (Van Buren, Ark.) 1859-1914, 1896-06-27
DESERT BIRDS OF AMERICA.
The Cocopah Mountain Nuitures nv
Larger Than the Condor

of granite monuments all the way from
I'll Paso westward to San Diego, on inc
Pacific ocean, since September, la9S, II
has been the means of giving to the
scientists of the world much Valuapio
information.
The most fruitful results OF the
scientific expedition were those among
the birds and animals. Or. Edgar a.
Alearns, T. S. ~, had charge OF collect-
ing ornithological and mammal specl-
mems in the progress across the oeser'S
and mountains and through the coco
nah Indian region. The doctor and ms
assistants collected nearly 1000 speci-
mems of curious life, and they have been
busy for weeks in arranging the enor-
NOUS collection. The doctor has packed
his specimens in San Diego ana mas
gone on to the Smithsonian institution
with them. expecting to put in some
two wears in classifying them and put
ting them in shape for the information
they Will impart to naturalists every
where.
Among other birds making their last
stand in the Cocopah mountains before
the advance of man is one of noble SIZE
"a bird that, as strong, powerful anu
graceful flyer, is the peer of American
birds. 1t is the California yulture. In
size it is larger than the South Ameri-
can condor, that king of birds III the
cloud-touehing Andes. Few of these
birds are left in California, and they
are not numerous even in that part OF
the Cocopah mountains trayersed by
DIR, Mearns. 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
one of these vultures fight a rattlesnalie.
1t was in the early morning. The big
bird had seized the snake behind the
head and was struggling upward with
its writing, 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
yulture waved rapidly as it slowly as
cended from the mountain mesa. AL
though large in size, these yultures are
not 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 squirming from its cap
tors talons at least sufficiently to en-
able it to strike at the great bird. The
triangular head of the snake was seen
to recoil and dart at the mass of feath-
ers. 1t did this once CT twice, and then
with a shrek the vulture dropped its
prey. The bird was then probably 500
feet or so above the observers. The
astonished men below were then treated
to a spectacle seldom seen anywhere.
Few birds but vulture could accom-
p1ish such feat. The instant the snake
escaped from the birds clutches It
dropped earthward like shot And
like a shot the bird dropped after it,
catching the astonished snake in mid
air ere it touched the ground with n
grip that caused death. At any rate,
the snake ceased to wiggle, and the
vulture scared away TO mountain
peak TO deyour its hard-earned meal.
Why the snake did not bite the vulture
and cause the death of the bird can
only be explained by the fact that the
thick feathers probably protected the
biped's flesh from incision by the rep
tiles fangs.
These vultures are closely allied t.
h.N ri 1,a,,.
color is glossy black, with patches Of
white under the wings. The greater
part Of the neck is bare, like the turkey
buzzard with ruffle where the feathers
| begin. There is bright orange patch
, IN the head. A fair-sized specimen of
| the California vulture is four feet high
and weighs about 20 pounds. Years
ago, when these huge birds were com
| mon, it was a familiar sight in the val
| leys to see California yultures and buz-
! yards feeding on the same carcass in
| perfect harmony, while occasionally n
| raven would join them. These yultures
| were frequently caught alive, when
gorged, by a lariat in the hands of Il
| cowboy. One cause of the eXtermina-
| ton of the vulture in California has
been through the medium of poisoned
meat, prepared by ranchers to kill pes
| tifcrous animals. The breeding habits
| of the vuitures are practically unknown,
| although it is supposed to nest in caves
| or cliffs, like the turkey buzzard Ow-
ing to the practical extinction of the
bird, it's eggs are as rare and valuable
as are these of the great aux, and will
| probably become more valuable. Some
Is perfect eggs of the great aux are in
| collections, one of these eggs being
worth 81 500 or more. Only two eggs of
| the California vulture are known to ex-
ist. Even the national museum Mt
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 the
shores of a small lake many dead birds
were seen. These birds were known as
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 II
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 salt
and soda, was in some way injurious Ia
them, or, remaining to search for prop
err food, which did not exist in thu