Richmond daily palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1876-1904, 1901-04-23
FEATHERED FREAKS.
BIRDS WITHOUT WINGS AND BIRDS
WITHOUT SONG.
The Penguin Is Bird That Walks
and sv~ims. but Does Not Tfy-A
Bird That Can Run Faster Than the
swiftest Hor,e-The Tailor Bird


and s~im.. but Does Not Ffy-N
Bird That Can Run Faster Than the
S~ift~>r Hor.e-The Tailor Bird
Birds without wings are found in
New Zealand and Australia. XVII IS
the name of one species. Beautiful
mats are made OF the feathers of the
white variety but il takes ten years
and more to collect enough feathers 10
make even small mat which would
sell for about $50
Birds without song belong to Ha-
wall. In Honolulu one sees a 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 II has no song.
A bird that walks and swims, but
does not hy, 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 flight birds is the Cali
fornia vulture or condor, measuring
from tipto tip 81 TO 10 feet and exceed
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 il can
not be COMPOUNDED with any other.
The California condor is rapidly APP
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 a tur-
key. One recently shot on the island
OF Java had in its crop a rim from Il
small telescope and three brass but
tons. evidently belonging to a British
soldiers uniform.
a bird which is swifter than a 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 il is found. !
The bird measures about two feet
from tip TO tip and is a 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 it for swiftness
when il comes to running.
Most curious are the sewing or tailor
birds of lndia-little yellow things not
much larger than ones thum. To
escape falling a prey to snakes and
monkeys the tailor bird picks up a |
dead leaf and flies up into high tree,
and with a fiber for a 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 at the top. That a nest is swing /
ing in the tree no snake or monkey OF
even man would suspect
Many a 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 unbrokeu
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 a mariner without |
o compass in strange sea on a 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 a 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,
and cloudberries that
ripen in the northern swamps accounts
for the presence of the birds.
\ stick of wood seven inches long
and n quarter of an inch in diameter
was once taken from a wren's nest. 1t
is very singular that so small and deli
cate a bird should use such rough ma
terial with which 10 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 a sense of hu
NOR. For instance. wren built Its
nest upon scarecrow. dead sparrow
hawk. which farmer had hung up TO
frighten away winged ravagers Of his
crop In the pocket of an old jacket
hanging in a barn a bird, also a wren.
made its nest. which when discovered |
five eggs II was robin
that raised young family in church
pew and a robin that built its nest in
the organ pipes of church. Places of
worship have always been favorit4
building places for birds