The times., 1901-04-28
FACTS CONCERNING BIRDS.
Some That Cannot Fly and Others
without the Gift of song.
(From The New York SUM-

tffOm the New lpgk sun
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
it takes ten years and more to collect
enough feathers to make even small
mat, which would sell for about $3.50
Birds without song belong to Hawaii.
In Honolulu one sees a bird about the
size of the robin, an independent sort OF
fellow, that walks about like chicken,
instead of hopping like well trained bird
of the United States and II 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
tip to tip nine and half to ten feet and
exceeding considerbly in size the true
condor of South America. The birds lay
but one egg each seasOn-large, oval. ashy
green in color, and deeply pitted, so dis
tinctiVe in appearance that II cannot De
cOnfOunded 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 turkey
One recently shot on the Island of Java
had in it's crop a rim from small teie-
scope and three brass buttons, evidently
belonging to British soldiers UNIFORM
A bird which is swifter than horse is
the road runner of the southwest. It's
aliases are the ground cuckoo, the lizard
bird, and the snake killer, snakes being a
favorite diet. In northern Mexico, west
ern Texas. and southern Colorado ana
California it is found. The bird measures
about two feet from tip 10 tip, and Is
dun brown in color. Its two legs are only
about ten inches long, but neither nOrseS
with their four legs, nor hounds, nor
electric pacing machines are in 1t tor
swiftness when il comes to running
Most curious are the sewing tailor
birds of India-little yellow things not
much larger than ones thumb TO es-
cape falling prey to snakes ana mon
keys, the tailor bird picks up dead leaf
and flies up into high tree, and with a
fibre for thread and it's bill for needle
sews the leaf onto n green one hanging
from the tree the sides are sewed up, an
opening being left at the top. That nest
is swinging in the tree no snake or mon
KEY or even man would suspect
Many regiment cannot compare IN
perfection of movement with the flight or
the curlews of Florida, WinSfng their way
to their feeding grounds miles away. all
in uniform lines, in unbrOken perfection
The curIews are dainty and charming
birds to see. some pink, some white
Birds in fight often lose their bearings,
being blown aside from their course by
the wind. In this case they are as badly
off mariner without compass IN
strange sea on a stariess night
All very young birds. by wise pro-
vision of nature, are entirely without
fear. until they are able to fly. The rea-
son 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 Arc
tic explorers to find such quantities Of
singing birds within the Arctic circle
They are abundant beVOQd belief. But
the immense crop of cranDerrfes, crow
berries and cloudberries that riDen in
the other swamps account for the pres
ence of the birds.
A stick of wood seven inches long and a
quarter of an inch in diameter, was once
taken from wren's nest. 1t is very sin
gular that so small and delicate a bird
should use such rough material with
! which to construct it's nest. II an eagle
should use material proportioned 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 almost give
| one the impression that birds must be
/ endowed with a sense of humOr. For in
/ stance, a wren built its nest upon a scare
| farmer had hung up to frighten away
| winged ravagers of his crop. In the
/ pocket of an old jacket hanging in barn
| a bird also q wren. made it's nest, which.
/ when discovered. contained five eggs. II
/ was a robin that raised a young family
| in a church pew, and a robin also that
! built it's nest in the organ pipes of a
| church. Places of worship have always
| been favorite building places for birds.