The leader., 1898-08-10
CARBON BIRDS OF CUBA.
rhc Hidcous Turkey Bnssnrds That
Are In Some Hespccts allies
of the American Army.


a feature of campaigning in Cuba
which has inspired the soldiers from
the north with horror and disgust is
the presence of the huge turkey buzz
yards on the battlefields. This bird is
perhaps in appearance and habits the
most loathsome creature of air known
to this continent. 1t is, of right, vul-
ture, stands about two and one-half
feet high, and is of a lustrous brown
ish black plumage.
The hideous part of the bird is its
head and neck naked of plumage and
reddish, like raw flesh. Below this is
a circular ruff of feathers, which
seems to accentuate the revolving APP
pearance of the neck. The bill is long
and slender, with a powerful curved
tip for tearing flesh.
Carrion is the food of the turkey
buzzard. though il will eat fresh meat,
and, when in force, will even kill small
animals or birds. But American sol
diers in Cuba, with their dead lying in
the thick underbTush, know too well
what the approach of these vultures
means, and for them the nauseous
birds form the chief horrors of the
war. In letter to friend in this city,
written after the fighting at Baiquiri.
one of the rough riders tells of watch
ing the buzzards come, and shooting at
them as they settled down to their
feast. One of his company. he adds,
who fought as bravely as the best dur
ing the battle, went into n sort of a
hysterieal fit at the approach of one Of
the birds, and covered away from 1t,
crying Ike u child. Other instances
of the soldiers shooting at the buzzards
and killing or driving them away have
been related.
Yet there is much to be said on the
side of the carrion birds. They are
our best allies, ard as soon as the bat
tie is over their work of sanitation be-
gins. In that hot climate death turks
in the dead and reaches forth for the
living. Close behind death in battle
claim more victims than shot and shell,
1t is here that The Nultures perform
their part, terrible to think of, but
very necessary to the army's veal
After the battle, friend or foe lie dead
together in the all but impenetrable
chapparral. What the burial parties
cannot find in that tangled underwood
the instinct Of the vulture discovers.
Far away in the sky-distance a black
spot appears, grows larger, and sails
along on motionlcss wings until pres
emily it settles Gown to earth. Others
follow, gathering from all parts of the
compass. They settle in little bands
of six or eight or even a dozen, and
when they have risen, instead of the
intolerable and horrible residue of hu.
mainly which lay in the brush, q
menace of pestilence, there remains
only a skeleton TO whiten in the sun
and rain.
All through tie south the worth of
the turkey buzzard as a scavenger is
well understood. Laws are in force
protecting these birds, and anyone
shooting them or wantonly disturbing
them is fined. In the smaller towns
they are the sIreet-cleaning depart
ment, and even in cities like Charles
ton they stalk about the streets unmo-
Tested. and uttering their harsh, hiss
ing note. New Jersey is as far north
as they get on tine Atlantic coast, but
the southern states TEEN with them.
and in Cuba they have multiplied rap.
idly in the last two years. Hideous and
foul as they and their ways are the
northern soldier who shoots them UNI
Willingly commits an offense against
the whole army of invasion, for if
there were no turkey buzzards in Cuba
many a good American who will re.
turn home to tell of his part in the war
would leave his bones for testimonial
to a more deadly foe than the Spanish.
Chicago Inter Ocean.