The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-07-26
BIRDS THAT CARRY LIGHTS.
The HerOn's Powder Patch which
Makes "A TwO-CandIe Light.


Makes "A TwO-CandIe Light.
From the Philadelphia Times.
A belated sportsman returning from a
days sport found himself late I'm the even
ing on the edge Of nat or marsh which
bordered the path. The moon had not
risen. and the darkness was so intense
that he was obliged TO move slowly and
carefully. As he walked along, gun on
shoulder. he thought he saw number Of
lights. some moving. others stationary.
As they were In the river bed, he knew
that they could net be lanterns. and for
some time he was puzzled; but. being of
an inquisitive mind. he walked down. to
the water to investigate. As the stream
was SOW running, shallow one. he had
no difficulty tn Wading in, and soon con-
WINGED himself that the lights were not
carried by men, and were either ignes
fa,ui or from some cause unknown. To
settle the apparent mystery he crept as
close as he could. took careful aim and
fired. At the discharge the lights disap-
peared, but, keeping his eve on the spot
where they had been, he walked quickly
10 II, and found to his amazement, a
night heron, upon whose breast cleaned
the mysterious light. The sportsman told
me of this incident, and. while | had often
heard Of the light on the heron's breast,
4 never htAOlt tUllu NM AIlA one VINO nlA
personally witnessed the phenomenon.
consequently l propOunded numerous
questions. The observer saw the light
distinctly; first at a distance of at least
NIFTY yards. or one hundred and nifty feet
Ihefe We're 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 intensity
stated to me that each light was the
equivalent of two candles, SO that when
he aimed he could see gun-slght against
Il.
AS to whether the bird had control of
the light he believed that it did. as he
saw the lights open and shut several
times, as he craWled toward the bird and
he stopped when the light disappeared
and crept on when il came again The
light did not endure long after the bird
was shot, fading away almost immedi-
ately In color the light was white, and
reminded the sportsman Of phosphores-
cent wood.
lated by sportsmen occasionally, but, SO
far as l know, exact facts and data have
never before been obtained on this most
interesting and somewhat sensational
subject friend in Florida told me that
he had distinctly seen light moving
about In a flock of cranes at night, and
became satisfied that the light was upon
the breast Of the bird. Another friend in
cry at night he had distinctly observed
lights moving about among the birds.
That herons have a peculiar possible
light-producing apparatus is well known.
These are called pOWder-doWn patches,
and can be found by turning up the long
feathers on the heron's breast, where Will
be found a patch of yellow greasy ma
terial that sometimes drops off or nils
the feathers in the form of a yellow pow
der. This powder Is produced by the evil
dent decomposition of the small feathers.
producing just such substance as one
might expect would become phosphores-
cent, as there is little doubt that II does.
The cranes and herons are not the only
birds having these oily lamps, If so we
may term them. A Madagasc bird,
called kirumbo has a large patch on each
side of the rump. The bitterns have two
pairs of patches; the true herons three,
while, the curious boat-bills have eight,
which, if a times all luminous, would give
the bird a most conspicuous not to say
spectral appearance at night.
Some years ago party OF explorers en-
tered large cave on the Island of Tr.ni-
dad that had hitherto been considered in
accessible. To their establishment they
found it filled with birds which darted
bout In the dark in such mum ers that
they struck the explorers and rendered
their passage not merely disagreeable but
dangerous. The birds proved to be night
hawks, known as OIL birds and in great
demand for the oil they contain, and II
Is barely possible that these birds are also
light-glvers. The powder-down patches OF
the oil birds are upon each side OF the
rump.
As to the use of lights to "A bird there
has been much conjecture; but IL is thought
that il may be lure to attract fishes
Thus il IS well known that fishes and va
rious marine animals are attracted by
light, and a heron standing mOti0nless ii
the water the light from its breast. Il
equal to two candles, would be plainly
! seen for consideration distance by va
rious kinds of fishes, who would undoubt
edly approach within reach of the eagle
eye and sharp bill of the heron and 50 fal
victims to their curiosity. II this is a true
solving of the mystery II is one Of the
most remarkable provisions of nature.
There is hardly a group of animals tina
| does not include some light-gsVers Of grea
| beauty; but il is not rally known tina
some of the higher animals also produces
light at times. Renninger, the naturalist
whose studies and observations of Para
| quay are well known. tells a most remark
| able story of his experiences with thu
| monkey known as Nyctipith.thecus trivir
/ gatus. He was in complete darkness Whei
/ he observed the phenomenon, which was
! phosphorescent light cleaning from tn,
| eyes Of the animal; not the light which ap
| pears in the eye Of a cat, but shafts o
| phcsphoresCent light which were not Onll
/ distinctly visible, but illumined objects
| distance Of six inches from the animall
| eyes.