Arizona weekly citizen., 1896-05-02
ALBINO BIRDS AND BEASTS.
White Deer and Quail Found Along
a Dakota River.


WI. Bruce of Ysnkton, S. D., reports
that while hunting twenty five miles
northwest Of Ysnkton, along the James
River, he shot two albino quail from q
flock normally colored. They were larR-
er than the ordinary bird, Of cream col
or, speckled With brown, but Sc dimly as
to appear pure white at short distance
Some years ego an old quail with thir-
teen young, all albinos, were reported
from California by correspondent Of
the same paper. Many individual slbino
quail are reported and few slbino ruff
fed grouse. The London Field lately
noted the finding of aibino and pied
rocks, crows aud blsckblrds, and q
white house martin. 1t also told about
a white badger that was taken in a weas-
el trap short time ago.
A pure white deer and q notified one
were reported killed on WILDLY Island,
ID Puget Sound lately. Three or more
white wild turkeys are known TO have
been killed during the past fifteen years.
One bird in Tennessee was known as
"OId White Witch Turkey" He may
not have been a bright bird naturally,
but it wasn't very long after he was
uatchedthat he learned that being white
was not at all comfort. The hen turkeys
liked him exceedingly, and one of his Off
spring, a gray bird, was killed in 1882,
while others of light color we're seen.
Hundreds of bullets were fired at the
witch bird. but without success, and he
no hlu A,aI nofnral AScth m
ou.-of-the-wRy clump Of bushes.
For many years albinos were thought
to be barren, but observation has proved
this to be erroneous. One, female rob-
10, reared brood OF young for five sue
cessive seasons up the Hudson, snd a
number of other robins were seen at
tending young in the vicinity during two
or three mating seasons, tn young be-
iug often oddly colored. Alblno robins
and squirrels are most frequently seen
of the small creatures, wnile deer are
the most numerous Of larger albinos.
An alb no moose was never seen.-For-
est and Stream.
Such freaks are by no means uncon-
mon in Arizona. A few years ego an
slbiuo quail, o.. gambeli) was frequently
seen near Yuma. Later a fine male
Sird of the same kind kept company
with bunch of quail iD tie Tortolitas.
He was much admired by those who
ss him. His beauty and proud strut
saved his life on more than one oocss-
sion. Another of the same kind was
killed in the Canyon de Oro and is now
ia the collection eff Mr.. Chas T. Etcbells,
Some years since white hawk, (Buteo
bo-eales) almost pure white in color,
was wounded and captured by the
Pasqual brothers on the Santa Cruz,
and given to the writer. 1t subsequent
Iy escaped and so far as known was
never again seen. He was a large and
handsome bird. his pure white feathers
being fleked only on the wings with an
ocDorous tint. The writer also had
partial slbino thrssher b. C. pslmeri).
IL was a very interesting bird and be-
came quite tame but finally loved liber-
ty better than cage and eventually
took French leave. He came back to
look things over occasionally, but
could never again U tempted behind
the bars.
Winter before last q white black-bird
was reported from Flagstaff and white
deer from Yavspai county. A white
deer was also reported from the Babo-
quivsri mountains, but both escaped
being killed.