New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1900-06-24
CURIOUS RESTING PLACES.
ANIMALS WHICH PERCH ON THE BACKS
OF THEIR FELLOWS.
81 PROFESSOR CHARLES FREDERICK HOLDER

often hundreds Of miles from shore. Sometimes
Il Is an eagle that aIights the truck or yard
arm: again a troop Of delicate sparrows, or even
a huulming bridal so weary and exhausted
that they have lost all fear and almost seem TO
court the friendship Of human beings.
s fisherman on the Maine coast who daily
sailed out ten miles from shore said that he
frequently visited by shore birds. which
alighted on his dory and made themselves per
fect3y at home. Such birds and those which
visit the steamers out at sea. have been blown
from their course during the season of rnigra-
ton. Thus in the fall and spring long lines Of
migrating birds extend up and down the coast.
The majority fy al night, high in the air fol-
lowing the shore line mountain range; and
il caught in q gale and blown out TO sea they
lose their bearings, become confused and fly on.
aIightng On vessels when perfectly exhausted
When ships and boats are not available birds
VIII alisht upon almost any object. have seen
Q guu standing on the back Of a sleeping logger
head turtle in the Gulf Of Mexico. apparently
much ct home; and the huge basking shark
which Is often seen floating on the surface its
brown back exposed. has been observed almost
covered with sea birds which undoubtedly
thought Q shark a log or a piece Of wreckage
discovering their mistake suddenly when the
shark rolled over or sank beneath the waves
THE MUCH SUFFERING PELICAN.
Southern California waters have a singular
fancy for roosting upon the back Of the brown
pelican, which I have often observed But this
IS not always TO rest, as the gull reaches out
wnen the pelican secures q sardIne and often
snatches 1t. Sometimes the gull roosts upon the
round head Of the pelican. its wings held aloft
in the effort TO preserve It's balance. A singular
feature Of this intrusion and fmpertinence on the
part Of the gull is that the pelican never resents
served by ne SO far as appearances went being
aware that II was being trampled upon by the
inquisitive. laughing gull, which, when it had
secured IT'S fish by the most barefaced methods,
went flying away with victorious 'Ha, ha"'
The Santa Catalina Channel, in Southern Cali
foruia waters is fav7rite field in sumner for
the giant mola, or sunfsh--one OF the most re
TnaTkabie OF ali the denzeGs Of the sea; a rotund
chopped of creature which resembles nothing.
Some wit has described II &c the fish that was
originally very long. ard was chopped off to
suit its requirements; and apparently this is
what happened as the fish has literally no tail
its place being taken by what appears to be
mere rim or frill, which can be moved 10 a lin
tied extent. The sunfsh. ike the basking shark
has singular habit CT lying on the surface IN
the wash Of the waves, and is almost always
taken for piece Of wreckage
n August in the Santa Catalina Channel they
lying broadside UP, the pectoral fin slowly
tanning the afr-the only. evidence Of life about
the strange object Why the fish takes this
position IS TO a certain extent unknown, but
think II is due IN some instances to the fact that
the creature is infested with many parasites
which 1--we ii the thick mucus which covers its
skin, and that it endeavors TO destroy them by
exposing itself 10 the direct rays Of the sun.
HUGE sUNFIsH.
These fish attain an enormous size. ! was
spending some weeks at the mouth OF the St,
Johns River some years ago, when a sunflsh
aground on the bar. would ship draw
ing over ten feet Of water. AS soon as IL struck
II keeled over and began 10 thrash about at
tracing so much attention that a boat sent
out TO secure it. The fish measured from the
top Of one fin 70 that Of the other eleven feet
and must have weighed over one thousand
pounds. An equally large specimen was taken
of Redondo Beach, California They are slug
gish fish, so that 7 have rowed alongside and
hooked them with boathook or gaff.
One Of the largest ever seen was haTpOoued of
Santa Catalina Island q few years ago VI was
estimated at twenty feet across and 10 weigh
Two thousand pounds. The fish lying prone
upon the surface. and was so sluggish that il
barely moved when the heavy harpoon was
driven Into IL II soon began TO settle. and il
was the opinion Of those in the boat that if the
rope had not broken the giant would have
dragged the launch beneath the water These
fish afford an excellent rOOst for various sea
birds. and The Spectacle or a suIlIlSn bearing
several gulls or a cOrmorant is often witnessed
in such case Il might readily be taken rol
vreckage.
Il IS possible that the guls aid in freeing tbs
great fishes OF their parasitic enemies, ahghtine
upon them as the little African bird enters tht
mouth Of the crocodile. which patiently opens i
for the purpose. Such resting places are more Of
less unsteady. but by continual practice th'
birds become skilled in holding on This Is wei
exenplifed by the guIls which follow the steam
ers which ply between San Pedro and Avalon
Cal The birds follow the steamer out ana back
q fight Of forty miles, and when they become
weary they appear TO take turns in alighting OF
the round golden ball which surmounts th'
mast This almost impossible resting piac'
bitches about in all directions; now forward o.
backward. or from siEe 10 side, sometimes jerk
ing the bird of; but, rule. these feathereC
acrobats retain their position, even IN the rough
esr weather.
WHEN THE OK BITER GETS INDIGNANT
In Africa especially in the great swamps
certain birds employ a variety Of animals a.
roosts. \ small white heron has special fond
ness for the rhinOceros, often being seen sittIni
or its back, its pure white body in sharp con
trast TO the black and mud covered living roos'
The great water buffalo is often fairly covered
with the birds popularity known as OK blters
which run over its body, clinging TO the Ions
hair. ears or tail. hanging in clusters about IN
patient animal and rise above II IN clouus an.
focks. utteriug voCiferous cries when the roost
perchance 10 relieve itself from the noisy throhg
rolls in the deep mud Of the swamp
The camel is often used by seNeraI DiFus as
roost. and undoubtedly all these birds repay m
animals 10y destroying the various parasite
which nfest them During Inc pFeseIll v M
n riding across country IN southern ~
I came up0n q flock Of sheep grazing on q lIllI
mesa. Many Of the sheep carried about on thel
backs from one TO three or four blackpiros
which Derched there apparently perfectly con
tented. on another occasion, in the same coun
Try, I saw pigs serving as roosts instead Q