The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1899-11-26
QUEER M|sHAPs 10 BIRDS
HOW MANY or TINE TRATMURnD
TalRE HAVE MET DESTRUCTION.
Prying P1evsr Captare1 ny . CLAM
GoldAnch Neets Death by Drtv.
ing His nill TAreasA "A Aeorns
Finally S1ce1nha1g - Starvattons

The mortality among birds must be quits
high in localities where their numbers ara
80 great that they are crowded In the nest
Ing season or In their rcostinG places. In
the days when the wild pigeons were found
In this country by the millions, thouxansia
Of them were killed every year by acci-
dent and Diseases peculiar to all CROWDED
conditions Of living creatures
In modern times hirsx are - compara-
lively few and we are 50 closely associated
with them that peculiar accidents can
readily be detected and described. Some-
times the condition Vt the dead birds viii
give = clew sufiicient TO enable an expert
TO build up Il very plausible theory ~ -
the cause OF death.
Thus a bird found with a large Ash. frog,
or toad sticking In lite gullet. mus, have
died Of suffocation. This form of death has
visited many birds Of the heron and duck
tribe. Kingfishers. grehes. rails and othes
hards sometimes meet with the same acct-
dent. Herona have been found a number
OF times ehoked to death by large trout
being lodged in their threats. A king
fisher WAS caught with pike four inches
long fast In its throat. which in spite Of all
efforts IL could not extricAte. Tho bird waa
relieved OF its sufferings by human hands.
and II few away toward the water TO fish
for more food. apparently none the worse
for its mishap. But such an accident would
In time cause the death OF the unfortunate
bird, unless its mate came to Its rescue.
Birds often help one another out Of trou-
bic OF this kind Sparrows have become so
hopelessy entangled In hair. yarn, and
string whieh they have picked up to build
their nests with that death must have fol-
lowed II rescue was not forthcoming. The
writer one day heard great sQuabhl,nG
among a flock of srarrows on q country
road. and. approaching quickly. he found
one poor bird lying in the dust tied up with
a bunch OF hair and string. AT first the
sight seemed like CONFEDERATION OF the
stories of cruelty told about sparrows. but
upon second thought he concluded that II
was quite another story. withdrawing to
a safe distance. he waited further develop
ments. The sparrows soon returned to the
side OF their helpless companion, and re.
newed the chatterlng and fiustering They
were all engaged In pulling, twisting and
jerking at the string and hair. In ten min-
utes they rose In the air with loud chat
ter OF triumph. They had succeeded In re-
leasing their mate from the cruel prison.
sparrow's Curious Plight.
But not all accidents end SO well Birds
have come to grief In nest building in
many ways They have actually hanged
themselves with the hairs and strings
with which they build their homes. In
their eagerness to construct their nest
they have caught their heads and nerks
In some protruding strand OF string which
frightened the more they struggled to free
themselves. Other birds have entangled
their feet In the hair and flying away in
the woods they made matters worse by
catching the mass OF debris In the twigs
OF trees. Unable to detach themselves,
they have fiuttered and chirped their lives
away.
An illustration showing how easy it
might be for bird to get caught In Q
string during the breeding season is given
by farmer who witnessed the sight. An
unusual futtering noise near his horses
In the held attracted his attention, and
upon investigation he discovered a spar
row caught in the animals long tail. The
hair had got tangled about the birds
neck and feet In such way that II could
not escape. The probability In that the
bird had been hunting around for hair
for It's nest. and in trying 10 steal one
from the animals tail Il became entangled.
The result OF the accident might have
been disastrous to the bird had not human
aid come In time TO rescue IL.
On the seashore many curious accidents
happen to birds. Hunters are recording
peculiar Incidents that come under their
notice There II the casa Of the plover
which got caught by clam. In hunting
on the exposed flats at low tide It must
~
which was enjoying the scenery with shell
half open. The plover's greed might have
proved destructive to II II a nearby hum
ter had not discovered It's plight. Tho
clam closed Its shell with a visc-like grip
as soon an the birds oill struck II. ana
the bird futtered violently and vsiniy
tried to escape. II IL not very often. how.
ever. that tho shore birds get caught IN
this way. for they give a wide birth to
all OF the moilusks whose power Of con.
traction Ii sufficient 10 imprfson them.
Several stories are told OF shore birds
having been caught by the toe by obstrep-
erous moiiesks. Oysters, CLANS and sim
liar shell fish have been found attached
to the feet OF snipe, povers AMI ducks.
The superstition IL that the birds must
have stepped upon the sheiIfsh and the
latter had closed tightly over the toe or
leg. In time the clam or oyster would
have to relax .ts grip but meanwhile the
bird. II large enough. would have TO drag
It's weary load ahout with II from day 70
day a. 1t went forth In search of It's food.
The excruciating pain must have been all
most uncomfortable while the bird waited
for i.s little enemy to free IT,
Goidsnch Caught by an Aeorn.
more peculiar accident than any
os these happened to n small goIdfnch.
which was found dead at the base Of .
large oak tree with an acorn attached 70
its bill. The bird had evidently driven ito
hfil straight through the acorn. and thens
unable 60 extricate II. the Htsie ersatrre
had died OF starvation. Stories are told
by naturaltsts Of finding birds with their
bills firmly irhedded In the trunks and
limbs 81 old trees. Either in their esger-
ness 10 capture some worm under the lark
they have forced their bills III ~ far that
they could not withdraw them, ar on somo
dark night they have flown against tho
tree with violence. Instances arc on reg
ord of sea BIRDS flying against wooden light
houses dark nights with suen force
as To drive their bills far fnto the voos,-
work. The power % ths fiiis 81 snUss ssse~
eiex Of 1rds 20 resist a heavy blow II 80
great that they viii penetrate hard oak
for half an incf before breaking SUCH
a conclusion. however, would Kill toe bird.
whether II injured the oiii or not. some-
tinsss the bill Ia driven strstgh, through
the skali Of the bird and pro,rudes from
the tack Of the head.