The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1896-03-18
TENEzUELA,s SHEPHERD BTRD.
1t is Called the Yakamils and Is as Good
ma II Dog for.t airing for a Flnck.

ma Dog Tor y arfnE tOr n rihch'
{From the Popular Science News)
| The natives OF Venezuela and adjoin
| ing countries on the north side Of the
river Amazon often avail themselves OF
the services of a native crane to care
| for their poultry, and also, in the pla ,e
of collies or shepherd dogs, used by
North Americans and Europeans, to
guard and herd their domestic animals.
| This remarkable bird, which the Indi-
ans call yakamik and ornithologists
Psophia crepitans Is found in wild
state in the great forests that lie be-
| tween the northern coasts of South
America and the Amazon river, partic-
ularly in Venezuela and British Gui.
| ana The birds never leave the forests
unless shot or captured They travel
about in focks of from one hundred to
| two hundred, in search of the berries,
| fruits and insects upon which they
subsist Their usual gait Is slow and
stately march, but they enliven them
selves from time to time by leaping up
| into the air, executing eccentric and
| fantastic waltZes, and striking the
most absurd and preposterous atti-
tudes. If pursued they endeavor to
save themselves by running, for their
! flight Is so weak. according to Schom
burgk, that when they attempt to fly
| over body of water of any considera-
BILE width they are often obliged to drop
upon it and save themselves by swim
ming When alarmed they utter the
| peculiar cry which has obtained for
them their name Of trumpeters. The
sound is something like that produced
| by q person endeavoring to shout the
syllables tow, tow, tow; tow. tow,
| tow" with his mouth shut, or the dole
| full noise made by children on New
Years with their trumpets. The yaka-
miks usually deposit their eggs In a
hollow in the ground, often at the foot
of tree
A nest generally contains ten eggs, of
a pale green color. The young birds
follow their mother as soon as they
are Matched but do not lose their pref
lty downy covering until several weeks
old The yakamiks are very readily
tanned and prove valuable servants to
the Indians, who domesticate them,
and as they are courageous and will
protect animals intrusted to their care
at every risk to themselves, even dogs
are obliged to yield to their authority.
They may be trusted with the care of q
| flock of sheep or domestic fowls, and
every morning will drive the ducks and
poultry to their feeding places and,
carefully collecting any stragglers,
bring them safely home at night n
yakamik soon learns to know and to
obey the voice of it's master, follows
him, when permitted, wherever he goes.
and appears delighted at receiving his
caresses. 1t repines at his absence and
| welcomes his return, and is extremely
jealous of any rival Should any dog
or cat approach, it flies at 1t with the
utmost fury, and attacking 1t with
wings and beak drives it away.
| 1t presents itself regularly during
meals, from which it chases all domes-
tic animals, and even the negroes who
wait on the table if it is not well ac-
quainted with them, and only asks TOR
| share of the eatableS after 1t has drlV-
en- away all who might aspire to Ia
vorable notice from the family. 1t APP
preciates favors in the same proper
ton as it is jealous of sharing them
with others. and manifests JOY and at
lection by the most extravaganza capers
and gesttculations When the ami
mails of which ii has charge are shut up
for the night, the yakamik roosts upon
some shed or tree near at hand to be
ready to take its place as keeper rs
soon as they are let out in the morning.
One quality that makes it valuable is
its sense of location, which is perfect;
however far it may wander with the
ftocks or herds it guards, it never falls
to find its way home at night, driving
before it all the creatures intrusted to
it's care.
1t is strange that several species of
South American birds Of different gen.