The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1898-07-22
CUBA'S CARBON BIRDS.
The HIdcous Turkey Bulzards That
are the Allies ofth American Army

A feature or the campaigning I'm cuba
which has inspired the soldiers from the
North with horror and disgust is the
presence of the huge turkey huzzard ON
the battlehclds This bird ls perhaps Us
appearance and habits tne most loalh-
some creature OF the air known 20 this
continent DO is OF right Fultutr,
stands about two and half feet nigh,
mud ,ls of lustrous ur1Wnlsh black
plumage The hldeous part oi the plrd is
its head and neck. naked OF piumdge ana
reddish. ike raw flesh. Below this is a
circular run OF feathers which seems 10
accentuate the revolving appearance or
the neck. The bin IS Ions ana sieha'I'
with d powerful curved ~ Tor tearing
flesh.
Carrion Is the food OF the turkey huz-
zard. though 10 will eat fresh meat, ana
v,hen I'm force. will even Nll small ami
mails or birds But American soldiers IN
Qua. with their dead lying IN the thick
underbrush. know too well what the APP
proach Of tcse vuli ures means ana lot
them the nauseCus birds form me chieI
horror of the war. I'm a letter 10 friend
IN this city. written after the hgniinS
al Baiquiri. one OF the rol-h riders tells
OF watching the buZziti- come. ana
shooting at them as they 'led GOWN 10
their feast one OF his company ne ados'
who fought as brayely as the best during
the battle went into a sort ot ny sleilcal
III al the approach OF one oi the pros
and covered. crying ont ike enid.
other instances Of the SOLDIERS shootng
at the buzzards and killing or driving
them away have been related
Vet there is ruch 10 Boz -tid on the side
Of the carrlon birds 1nef are our pest
allies. ana as soon as tnf pdt'le Is over
their work of san itatiOn 7eSlLs- IN lhat
hot climate death turks DID, tne ueao ana
reaches forth for the living 'lose Dehind
death In battle waits death py ptsulence,
ready 10 claim more victims than shot
and shell. II IS here thar the Nuilures
perform their part. terrible 20 think or
but very necessary 20 me army r veal.
After the battle. friend and zoe he dead
together in the all but ImpcnetIdple chdp-
arral What the burial parties cannot
md In that tangled underwood the m
stinct OF the vultures discovers, az
away IN the sky-distance IL piach spot
apDears. grows larger. and sails along on
rno,tor1ees wtngs until presently II set
ties down TO earth. others l"iIoW sdlh-
ering from an points 0t tn} compass.
They settle I'm little bands OF SIX or eight
or even "a dozen. and Mh'u 'heS nave
risen. Instead OF the Intolerance ana nor
rible residue OF humanity Whlch Jay IN
the brush a menace OF pesllisnce' mere
remains only skeleton 70 "hI'eh IN the
sun and rain.
All through the South the worth OF the
turkey buzzard as a scavenger Is well
understood. Laws are in force protecting
tncse b,rds and anyone shooting them or
wantonly disturbing them IS hned. In the
smaller towns they are the street clean
ing department. and even IN clues Ike
f'barlosfor they stalk about the streets.
ipnmolested. and uttering their harsh.
Missing note. New Jersey IS as far north
as they get on the Atlantic coast but
the Southern states TEEN win them. and
In cuba they have multiplied rapidly IN
the last two years. Hideous and foul as
they and their WAYS are. me northern
soldier who shoots them unwittingly com
ms an offence against the whole army
OF invasion. for II there were no turkey
buzzards in cuba many good Amencan
who viii return home 10 ieh OF MS part
In the war would leave his bones for tes-
timonisl 10 a more deadly Zoe than the
Spanish