The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1896-10-14
A Bird That Travels About feunsylvsnis,
Delaware and Maryland.

CHAMBERsnURa. Pa. Sept. 29.-"fhe
bell buzzard has come again" is the an
swer frequently given by farmers in this
section of Pennsylvania nowadays when
asked whats the news?''
The bell buzzard first arrived in he
Cumberland Valley about three years .sgo,
coming up from the Shenandoah Valley
of Virginia, where he. had previously
been well known. The story goes that
the buzzard was captured when young,
and raised by a Virginia farmer, who
taught him a good many tricks. and fast
ened a bell 10 his neck with an iron ring.
He is a turkey buzzard, and most OF his
kind are de.ested by farmers. This par
ticular bird showed himself in advance
of his fellows in many ways. He strut
ted about the farm and made himself use
iul by attacking and driving off hawks
which came to the place. Then evil days
fell upon him. Yielding to the wiles of
some of his species ne scared off one day
i'm their company and has never since
been seen about that particular neck of
woods.
Up from Virginia he came one fall cay
three years ago, and aroused not only
curiosity but also some alarm. He trav-
elled good deal at night and many a
good housewife has been alarmed by Tho
sound of tinkling bell passing over the
lonely farmhouse at night. Occasionally
he would be seen by day. In addition to
A. I. L. NJ. oh HE
neck, and was thus easily distinguished
from his fellows. Wild and wary was he
to am unusual degree, and hundreds of
attempts to trap or shoot him were with
out avail. He seemed 20 have little in
common with his fellow inhabitants of
the air, for he would swoop down among
them suddenly, after lively scrap, would
sail leisnrely away, highly pleased with
the CONSERVATION he had created.
The following year the bell buzzard de-
parted for pastures new. He was heard
| of now at one place and then many miles
| distant a few days later. II is certain
that he has been seen in southeastern
Pennsylvania, in Maryland and in Della
ware. For some time he was lost sight
of, and il was thought that at last a bull
| let mad reached him, but last week he put
in an appearance here again, and began
to renew old acqnaintances. On Satur-
day afternoon Mrs. Geo. r. Summers, OF
| Dufiield, in this county, seven miles from
| Chambersburg, heard a bell tinkling
near the house. Her husband is a stock
| dealer, and Mrs. Summers thought a bell
wether had gotten away from her hus-
bands flock Of sheep. On going out of
| the house she e1uld not see a sheep in
sight. Miss Aukebrand, n neighbor,
| heard the same iinkling bell, came out of
| the house and looked in vain mp and
down the road for the bicyciist she
| thought was coming. While the two
women stood chatting about the noise,
| they heard the he'll again overhead, and
| on looking up saw big turkey buzzard
eircling around aud around over them.
| At times he seemed almost to rest On his
wings, n if to allow better look AZ him
and his bell; then he gave a discorfani
squawk and scared away. Upon com
pairing notes the farmers in the vicinity
| came to the conclusion that this visitor
was the same buzzard that haunted this
section three years ago. The bird has al
so been seen in Lancaster and Chester
counties.