The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1900-11-11

30 now. though 1t has not got into the
papers" Of late. This phantom bustard OF
Hampstead Heath even engaged the pen
OF Charles Dickens. and was for a long
time . part OF the folklore OF London.
Perhaps 1t was not folklore and a phan-
TOM Perhaps solitary bustard, hiding
somewhere during the day, did really run
about Hampstead Heath at night, the last
OF the bustards. revisiting the glimpses OF
the moon and waiting for death to end its
race. Here is a chance for Ernest Seton
Thompson to write story, '"The Last of
the Bustards." which shall be as great in
fts way a. The Last of the Barons."
II the present attempt of one of the rich
English landowners In Norfolk Is success
full the bustard may people English COW
srs again, a. he did long ago A flock has
and notices have been spread all through
the island warning all sportsmen OF the
attempt and asking them not TO modest
the birds
In speaking Of big flying birds the wild
swan should not be forgotten. This bird
sometimes attains to weight Of twenty
nve pounds. and has an expanse of wing
OF seven feet. The albatross sometimes
weighs seventeen pounds and has fourteen
feet expanss OF wing.
ln0 laemmergier, the great bearded
vuituro OF the Alps, IL the bird told ~
most frequently in song and story as a
nonapper. As a matter of fact. II is
Souoted ~ the best authorities II the
i1snergeier ever stoops to any but a
carcass. Nevertheless, there have hee,,
pretty well established cases Of its hav-
lnk carried on young lambs and kids and
one mas been shot while eating n ra hhit
which II had just killed. Yet one nat
ursust VINO watched the laemmergeier
loI we've years never once saw the bid
attack anything alive. The Iaemmereeier
sometimes weighs
mas a wing expense OF over nine feet. IT
- thought that the depredations OF eagle.
nave given to the laemmergeier its bad
name py getting their exploits mixed up
with his. UP
IN putting forward the claims Of the
nies. II not the second, the tame as we'll
- the Wild bird must be taken into con-
sioeration; for the domestic turkey cer-
fanny can ny and sometimes ascends 70
the tipmost top of the tallmost tree,
tnou9n ne - not so lively ON the wing a.
nls WIG brother. The wild turkey" says
William T. Hornaday. Of the ZooiorjcaI
gardens is the king OF game birds. and
= faraway look comes into his eyes as IL
ne were thinking Of his THANKSGIVING
dinner. There is a wild turkey in the
geological gardens which arrived there
last sprfng-a beautiful specimen. He
weighs twenty eight pounds now, and is
~--~- ~--~eAs0' A<SAuCsic tbrk0tb OF tlirtY
pounds are not uncommon, and Audu-
bon speaks OF one which weighed thirtv-
six pounds. Bonaparte-not the great em-
peror. but his brother Lucien, Prince of
Canino-in his work on American Orni-
thoiogy." speaks Of turkeys weighing
forty pounds and regards all reports Of
larger birds as fabulous"
Benjamin Franklin wanted to have the
turkey adopted as the national bird OF
the United States instead Of the eagle,
and made out good case for the bird as
against the claims OF his successful rival.
Why the bird In question Ii called a tur-
key has been much discussed without
reaching any definite conclusion. One
theory II that the turkey named himself
~ his peculiar ''ciuck," which sounds
like turk, turk, turk"
The turkey. however. while he has tho
weight. lacks tho immense spread of
wing which birds Of the eagle tribe have,
and this gives the harry eagle an advan-
tags in the competition. Until recent dis
covery OF the harpy eagle in the Philip
pines II was supposed that IL existed no.
where except in South America. with
related form In New Guinea There Is a
splendid specimen OF the harry eagle in
the washington Geological park which
wsighs between twenty-eight and thirty
pounds. When II Is considered that the
golden eagle weighs only twelve pounds,