Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1900-07-07
QUEER PLACES To ROOST.
Birds Often Seen Pcrchcd Upon Il
Backs of Animals-Fishes with Rider

Birds Often Seen Pcrchcd Upon the
Backs of Administrators with Riders
In Africa. especially in the great
swamps. certain birds employ a vari
ETY. OF animals as roosts. says Prof
Charles +. Holder. y small white
heron has a special penchant for the
rhinoceros. often being seen sitting OF
its back. its pure white body in SHARP
contrast to the black and mud-colored
living roost. The great water buffalo
is often fairly covered with the birds
popularity known as OK biters. which
run over its body. hanging in clusters
about the patient animal, and rise
above it in clouds and flocks uttering
vociferous cries when the roost. per-
chance TO relieve itself from the noisy
throng, rolls in the deep mud of the
swamp.
The camel is used by several birds
as roost and undoubtedly all these
birds repay the animals by destroying
the various parasites which infcst
them. During the past winter, in rid
ing across country in southern Califor-
MIA. I came upon a flock Of sheep graz
ing On little mesa. Many Of the
sheep carried about on their backs
from enc to three or four blackbirds.
which perChcd there apparently per
fcctly contented
on another occasion. in the same
country, | saw pigs serving as roosts,
instead of sheep. Nearly every black
pig was mounted by one or two black
birds. Some stood on the head. another
chung to an ear. while in another in
stance four blackbirds perChcd upon
the back of pig, all noisily talking or
singing in their peculiar language.
a traveller in North America has de-
scribed remarkable instance Of this
singular association. Lying in the
bush. watching for large game. he saw
moved slowly on with deliberate gait,
feeding as they came. When they
reached him. passing not % feet away.
to his establishment he saw that each
stork bore upon its back one or two
small birds. which occasionally flew To
the ground to pick up a grasshopper,
but invariably returning to their
strange walking roost.
Darwin witnessed 4 singular and i'll
tercsting illustration Of this phase If
animal life in the Galapagos islands.
At that time the large tortoise. peculiar
to the place. was very common. and 70
be found everywhere numbering along
over the trails they had made. Meet
ing one. Darwin saw that it carried up
on its back several birds which We're
so tame that they made no effort to fly
away. Whether they We're merely tax
ing a ride or had alighted on the an
imal as it sat still it was difficult to
determine.
Darwin also observed a lizard here
which swan out into the water to feed
and was perfectly at home there. AS it
made its way through the kelp beds
the gulls often alighted on its head and
back-a proceeding which apparently
did not trouble the lizard in the least.
If we so down to the sea we shall
find many quaint illustrations of this
custom. Thus the fish ramora literally
rides about upon variety Of fishes. cs-
pecially sharks, which frequently have
from one to six or seven ramoras cling
ing to them. and which refuse to leave
their consort when taken. / have seen
them attached to large fishes, as the
sheepshead, and to turtles.
Certain sea anemones are invariably
found literally roosting upon the back
of crabs One dredgcd off the New
England coast was light giver, or
so the crab was forced
to carry about what was to all intents
and purposes, a lighthouse.