The San Francisco call., 1896-06-28
The STRANGE
Bird THAT IS UNKNOWN
TO ORNITHOLOGISTS.
Tommy Harvey of SonOma Has an
Uncouth Pet That Has No
Standing in the Natural
History Books.

Tommy Harvey, boy of TO- living on
the outskirts of Sonoma, has the strangest
bird pet OF any boy in the State. 1t may
be- of course, that some great ornithologist
might find an unpronouneeabl name for
the creature, but men who have lived in
the vicinity for thirty years and done con-
siderable hunting say they never saw its
like before, and most of them never want
to again, for the shock to their nervous
systems by the first sight of it was most
severe. Nor can they be blamed, for the
appearance of Tommy Harvey's bird is
enough 10 make man drink water ex-
clusively for the rest of his life.
Tommy found this out and it furnished
him with great amusement. The first
man who saw the bird came upon it sud-
denly while Tommy was playing with it in
the road. He gave Jump and a howl and
ran away so fast he looked like a whole
regiment of soldiers. Almost anybody
else would have done the same thing. In
fact, Tommy Harvey's bird looks like the
horrid memory of an attack of delirium
tremens, and any drinking man would
momentarily expect to see a countless
multitude Just like it come suddenly out of
space.
b. Tommy Harvey caught his bird about
ten days ago. He was out hunting for
frogs in marsh not far from town, and
was having a good time, as boys will.
Suddenly he heard a sound, between a
screech and a whistle, that made him
Jump. He started to run and saw the
strange bird directly in front of him. OF
course it did not frighten him as badly as
il did some people who have seen it since,
but for several moments he thought there
was sledge-hammer inside of him where
his heart ought to be. As boys have
powerful habit CT doing, Tommy got over
that feeling and started to investigate the
bird. 1t was not the least bit afraid of
him. He used long stick at first, for the
bird to exercise its beak on, until he saw
that it could not bite very hard. Gradually
he got nearer and nearer, and braver and
braver as he assured himself of the queer
BIRDS harmlessness.
In short time Tommy mustered up
courage enough to stroke the birds back.
This seemed to please it and it bumped
itself in delight. Tommy was delighted
also and was not long in making up his
mind to take the bird home. He had for
gotten all about the frogs and they
croaked and croaked in unmolested glee.
When Tommy reached home with his
prize he first showed it to his mother.
But that good woman did not want to
look at it. She simply gave a shrek and
fed from the house the moment Tommy
set it on the floor. The bird, of course,
did not mind the shrek and proceeded to
make itself at home. Tommy fed it the
best there was in the house, and also all
there was in the house, and still it was
hungry. 1t ate and ate, and Tommy's
mother, who by this time had recovered
enough to sneak around the side of the
house and peep in window, was willing
that it should have all it wanted.
Tommy then took his bird out on the
street and created great CONSERVATION
among the men and envy among the other
boys because it did not belong to them.
The first night Tommy owned the bird he
wanted to take it to bed with him. His
mother allowed him to do this, but boy
and bird both slept in the woodshed.
Tommy has since made up his mind that
the bird can sleep by itself in the wood
shed. He said he was not afraid-of
course not-but it was lonesome out there,
and his pet wanted to play with him and
wouldn't let him sleep,
There are a great many peculiar things
about the appearance of Tommy's bird. 1t
looks like combination of ostrich, eagle
and owl. 1t is very young, not more than
three weeks old, and yet it is at least
eighteen inches high, or larger than baby
ostrich of the same age. 1t is covered with
a soft, white fuzz like young duck, and
has feet that look to be about twice the
size they ought to be. Passing down the
sides of the creature are series of stripes
of brown color like zebra and its head
it's a nightmare. Projecting from dark
circle on Its face is the beak of vuIture,
while the eyes are small and wicked
looking. The BIRDS wings are dark in
color, and most of the time hang down at
its sides. 1t cannot fly yet and is not able
to walk much. The size of the bird is
most deceiving in regard to Its weight. 1t
looks as heavy as big turkey, but really
does not weigh more than three pounds.