Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1901-10-17
FEATHERED FREAKS.
BIRDS WITHOUT WINGS AND BIRDS
WITHOUT SONG.


The Penguin II n Bird That Walks
and Swims, but Does Not Fly-A
Bird That Can Run Faster Than the
Swiftest Horse-The Tailor Bird.
Birds without wings are found in
New Zealand and Australia. Kiwi is
the name of one species. Beautiful
mats are made of the feathers of the
white variety, but 1t takes ten years
and more to collect enough feathers to
make even a small mat which would
sell for about $3.50.
Birds without song belong to Ha-
we'll. In Honolulu one sees bird
about the size of the robin, an indie
pendent sort of fellow, that walks
about like chicken, instead of hop
ping like well trained bird Of the
United States, and 1t has no song.
A bird that walks and swims, but
does not fly, is the penguin. No nests
are made by penguins, but the one egg
laid at time by the mother Is carried
about under her absurd little wing or
under her leg.
The largest of fight birds is the Cali
fornia vulture or condor, measuring
from tipto tip 9h to 10 feet and exceed
Ing considerably in size the true condor
Of South America. The bird lays but
one egg each season-large, oval, ashy
green in color and deeply pitted, SO
distinctive in appearance that 1t can
not be COMPOUNDED with any other.
The California condor Is rapidly ap-
preaching extinction and museums all
over the world are eager to secure
living specimens. 1t Is believed that
there Is only one In captivity.
Another large bird Is the rhinoceros
bird, which Is about the size of tur-
key. One recently shot on the island
of Java had in its crop rim from
small telescope and three brass but
tons, evidently belonging to British
soldiers uniform.
A bird whicn is swifter than n horse
is the road runner Of the southwest.
Its aliases are the ground cuckoo, the
lizard bird and the snake killer, snakes
being a favorite diet. In northern
Mexico, western Texas and southern
Colorado and California 1t Is found.
The bird measures about two feet
from tip to tip and Is dull brown In
color. Its two legs are only about ten
inches long, but neither horses with
their four legs nor hounds nor electric
pacing machines are in 1t for swiftness
when 1t comes to running.
Most curious are the sewing or tailor
birds Of India-little yellow things not
much larger than ones thum. To
escape falling prey to snakes and
monkeys the tailor bird picks up a
dead leaf and flies up into high tree,
and with fiber for thread and Its
bill for needle sews the leaf on to a
green one hanging from the tree. The
sides are sewed up, an opening being
left ut the top. That nest Is swing
Ing in the tree no snake or monkey or
even man would suspect.
Many regiment cannot compare In
perfection of movement with the flight
of the curlews of Florida winging their
way to their feeding grounds miles
away, all In uniform lines In unbroken
perfection. The curlews are dainty
and charming birds to see, some pink,
some white.
Birds in flight often lose their bear
ings, being blown aside from their
course by the wind. In this case they
are as badly off as n mariner without
compass In q strange sea on star
less night.
All very young birds, by wise pro-
vision Of nature, are entirely without
fear until they are able to fly. The
reason Of the delayed development of
fear is that, being unable to fly. the
birds would struggle and fall from
their nests at every noise and be killed.
Suddenly. almost in day, the birds
develop the sense Of fear, when their
feathers are enough grown SO that
they can fly.
1t Is always a source Of wonder to
arctic explorers to find such quantities
of singing birds within the arctic cir
Gle. They are abundant beyond belief.
But the immense crop Of cranberries,
crowberrics and cloudberries that
ripen In the northern swamps accounts
for the presence Of the birds.
A stick Of wood seven inches long
and quarter of an inch In diameter
was once taken from wren's nest. 1t
Is very singular that so small and deli
cate bird should use such rough ma.
terial with which to construct its nest.
If an eagle should use material pro-
portioned to its size, Its nest would be
made up Of fence rails and small saw
logs.
The extraordinary situations in
which nests are found occasionally al
most give one the impression that birds
must be endowed with n sense Of hui
NOR. For instance, wren built its
nest upon a scarecrow, dead sparrow
hawk, which farmer had hung up to
brighten away winged ravagers of his
crop. In the pocket of an old Jacket
hanging in barn bird, also a wren,
made its nest, which when discovered
contained five eggs. 1t was robin
that raised a young family in church
pew and a robin that built It's nest In
the organ pipes of church. Places of