New Ulm review. (New Ulm, Brown County, Minn.) 1892-1961, 1896-11-04

non; consequently I propounded numer-
Gus questions, The observer saw the
light distinctly: first, at a distance of
at least 30 yards. or $50 feet. There
were 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 in
tensity stated to me that each light was
the equivalent of two candles, so that
when he aimed he could see the gun
sight against it. Is
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 disap-
peared and crept on when it came
again. The light did not endure long
after the bird was shot, fading away
almost Immediately. In color the light
was white and reminded him of phos-
phorescent wood. -.
Stories of luminous birds have been
related by sportsmen occasionally, but,
SO far as I know, exact facts and data
have never before been obtained on this
most interesting and somewhat sensa-
tional subject. A friend in Florida told
me that he had distinctly seen light
moving about in flock Of cranes at
night and became satisfied that the
light was upon the breast of bird.
Another friend informed me that on en-
tering heron rookery at night he had
distinctly observed lights moving about
among the birds. +
That herons have 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 patch of yellow,
greasy material that sometimes drops
off or fills the feathers in the form of
yellow powder. This powder is pro-
duced by the evident decomposition of
the small feathers, producing just such
a substance as one might expect would
become phosphorescent, as there is little
doubt that it does.
The cranes and herons are not the
only birds having these oily lamps, if so
we may term them. A Madagascar bird,
called kirumbo, has large patch on
each side of the rump. The bitterns
have two pairs Of patches, the true her
ons three, while the curious boat bills
have eight, which, if at times all lu-
minous, would give the bird a most
conspicuous, not to say spectral, appear
ance at night.
Some years ago party of explorers
Trinidad that had hitherto been consid-
cred inaccessible. To their establishment
they found it filed with birds which
darted about in the dark in such num-
bers that they struck the explorers and
rendered their passage not merely dis
agreeable, but dangerous. The birds
proved to be night hawks, known as oil
birds, and in great demand for the oil
they contain, and it is barely possible
that these birds are also light givers.
The powder down patches of the oil
bird are upon each side Of the rump.
AS to the use Of such lights to bird
there has been much conjecture, but it
is thought that it may be lure to at
tract fishes. Thus it is we'll known that
fishes and various marine animals are
attracted by light, and a heron standing
motionless in the water, the light from
its breast, if equal to two candles,
would be plainly seen for a considerable
distance by various kinds Of fishes, who
would undoubtedly approach within the
reach of the eagle eye ard sharp bill Of