The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1899-02-14
some INTERESTING BIRDS.
high Rank Given 90 the Crow at the
Smithsonian Institution.
lNem York SUM-

(NeW 1Ofk sun.
Washington. Feb. IA day at the
Smithsonian institution will furnish a
great deal OF interesting Information re-
garding the fenthered tribe. For instance,
the common corn pulling crow is ranked
among the first in intelligence, IL being
said by naturaIists that the crow can be
taught TO talk more distinctly than the
parrot, and has a more humanlike quality
Of voice. 1t is denied, however, by the
Smithsonian people that the splitting of
a crows tongue will IN any way add to
its powers of speech, this idea having Its
origin among the negroes Of tho South,
who have always Sooked upon the crow as
an evil bird
The butcher Bird" which is common
to northern ATTITUDES in America, kurope
and Asia, Is the most bloodthirsty and
depraved of oil birds. 1t prsys upon mice
and other small animals, birds and in
scots. always catching and impaling them
ON thorns of bushes In the hedges, and 1t
seems 10 take delight in watching the
death of its victims.
With the butcher bird may be olsssed
the "sheep-eating parrot" New Zeal
and bird, which has made great deal Of
trouble for the sheep of that country. For
a long time the herders were puzzled by
finding their sheep dying from wounds
on their backs. During one unusually
severe winter most of the fruits and seeds
eat were destroyed, and the birds were
driven to seek other means Of sustenance
Then they would attack flock Of sheep
and bite out the flesh with their strong
beaks, choosing the fat portions near the
kidneys. In New Zealand good bounty
is paid for the birds, and they are fast
becoming extinct.
The pretty little "honey bird" OF Africa
lives almost entirely on wild honey.
These birds will watch the natives and
accompany them on their expeditions for
honey the birds seem ing 10 recognize by
the equipments of the natives wien they
are starting out to hunt bee trees. The
little honey enters will fly short dis.
tauoe in advance of the hunting party,
and upon reaching bee tree will make
loud cries. They will hy around and
ohirp while the gum is being taken, and
q goodly portion Is always left by the
hunters for the birds, rs they are Of great
assistance In locating lee trees.
Some birds, like all children, like to
play, and Australia and New Guinea
produce the "bower Bird" which builds
regular lighthouses. These houses are not
part of their nests, but are constructed
usually in the shape Of covered arohways
of little boughs two or three feet long,
eighteen inches high and about as wide.
They use these hol eos simply for their
games, rs II they wele clubhouses. Gen
orally these play houses are decorated with
briaht-colored shells and feathers, Just
rs children decorate their play houses.
Another interesting bird Ia the "weav-
er" 1t seems to be fond of making enor-
nous nests merely for the purpose of OK
ercise In the art Of construction. Supply
| these birds with strings and straw and
hey will use them rapidly. and their
fabric Is woven with q perfectness that is
astonishing. In some countries Ii IL the
custom of the weaver birds to colonize
and boild one big fat-topped platform
two or three yards across. which Is SO
admirably put together as to shed the rain
as well ~ any roof could do. Under this
roof they make individual pocket shaped
| nests, bringing up under this unique
str ucture a large and Interesting family OF
little weavers. There is another bird
called the tailor which, instead Of
| waving Its nest, incloses 1t in big leaves
and stitches the0latter together With plant
flores. just as ons would sew piece of
| cloth.
The mound fowls" of Australia and
New Guinea construct mounds Of decayed
| leaves for their nests. In these the eggs
are laid and covered over with the same
| material. The warmth engendered by tho
decomposition of the leaves CAUSES the
| eggs TO batch. and the young In due time
| burrow their way out to lite and the open
| air These birds are regarded as the
LATEST of all the feathery kingdom. Next
| TO them comes the common blaoktird OF
America for laziness. These blsckbirds
never build nests of their own, but lay
their eggs in the nests Of other birds, and
| leave them to be Matched by foster moth
ers. This is an unfortunate imposition
on the smaller birds, as the black bird 8
young is so large when first Matched that
he soon crowds the smaller birds out OF
| the nest and has il all to himself
| Among the cranes and grouse are those
which delight in the terpsichorean art
and they viii gather In large number and
| indulge in "a dance, going through some
| figures which would furnish material for
| some of the fashionable germans Then
there is the "bell bird" which has IA
voice like the tolling of u bell and makes
one feel that funeral procession is com
| ing up the street. A huge hollow stump
with a number of Carolina parokeets
hanging by their bills, shows how these
queer birds sleep at night. The New
| Guinea parokeet does the reverse, always
roosting hanPi1g by the feet with head
downward. The umbrella bird" has q
cre st like an um breila and uses it in rainy
weather TO keep the water of his other