The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1901-07-07

than seven hunQfed !alletleO, BUfuV ~
which are found nowhere else. Here In the
Brisbane Museum there are scores OF diner.
ent kinds of parrots. some as white as snow.
others of a delicate pink and others a. re0
as fresh blood One OF tho curious birds -
the Tyre bird, which has tail shaped tuss
like Tyre, and another Is the satin-bowee
bird which builds up playground near the
tree in which its nest Is These Fairgrounds,
or assembly platforms, are sometimes three
feet In diameter. They have a floor raised
In the center made Of sticks woven togeth-
er. Upon this central place they build
little bower Of woven twigS and decorate IL
with all the beautiful things they can nno.
They weave gay feathers of parrots ana
other birds among the sticks. put bones and
shells here and there. and collect everything
that they can to beautify It. Some bowers
which have been found In the vicinity or
settlements are ornameDted with pieces OF
broken china and glass, and one was recent
" discovered in which a number OF blue cot.
ton rags, evidently picked up from de.
serted native encampment, had been woven.
These bowers are not nests nor are they the
homes Of the birds. They are supposed to
be the rendezvous or playing grounds *
pairing times, when the little birds run m
and out Of the passages. apparently having
a game together. The bowers are built By
the females.
Tho bower birds are bright green when
young, but when fun grown the males, are
OF deep, shining blue black closely, re-
sembiing satin. They have blue bills, yel-
low at the tip, and their legs and feet are
yellowish white. The females are greGo
and brown. with bills Of q dark horn color.
The birds ara found all along the east coast
Of Australia and in many parts OF the b.
terror.
The Festive Cassovarles.
You may have heard Of the touching m.
tie poem by the small boy who was. In
.A III Int N
daI-school box. one verse Of which reads:
wish rers Q cassowary
In the wtds Of Timbuctod
Wouidnt I Saat mi3s3onAxH 4
Skin and nsnss and hympbsuA ~
Australia II as much the land e ~
cassowary as the emu. The northern part
Of the country has thousands Of these
great birds. which resemble the ostrich
and the emu. but which have many pscu-
uarities Of their own. The ootrichsS and
emus live on the open plains. The cAsD0. :
varies are found In the forests and brush
woods. They are very wary birds and
seldom come out Of the jungleA ] have
seen number of them during my stay IN
Australia The full-srown bird = about
four and half feet high. having blach
feathers. brown at the base They have
eyes like an eagle and long. thin nsckA
with stately. naked heads, and nat, but
powerful. bills. Their necks are brightly
They have very strong legs. which loolsgs
more like clubs than bird legs, and end !.
In three large claws like those OF An emu !,
The National Bird Of Australia. !,
Tho emu Is the national bird Of Australia,
It Is larger than the cassowary, often I'VE
or six feet In height and sometimes over !,
seven. 1t Is very much like the ostrichs
except that its legs are shorter. and itS 2
body more thickset and clumsy: Em1e
feathers look more like coarse hair thaHw
feathers. and emu skins are sometimes use>,z
for rugs. Tho cassowaries have no hair on,
their heads. but the heads OF the enus are
haired. The plumage Of the emu Is . du1t
brown. spotted with dirty gray here and'
there. The wings are SO short that theFo
are invisible when held close to the body
they are clothed with feathers, but not with<
the beautiful plumage of the ostrich. Tia,
birds are quite dangerous. and their kick.
Is strong enough to kill a dog or q man. Ne
Emn Hunting. ~
One Of tho fayorite sports Of Australia III
hunting emus. The best time for this H.
early in the morning. when the birds 80 out.
to feed on the grass. Both dogs and horsc4s
arc trained for the purpose. Tho dogs are
taught to catch the emus by the NECK
otherwise they are sometimes killed BY ~
kick, for the bird kicks sidewiso like q.
COW. This hunting Is rapidly killing OF Tia,
=
The squatters are anxious to destroy them
to save the grass for the sheep. They send
out men to hunt fer the nests and break
the eggs. On one sheep station In vlctorfae
100 eggs were recently destroyed. and oae
another more than that number wefas
broken. In one county Of New South waieA,
10000 emus were killed in nine MONTHS.
and the destruction of them in the settled
portions of Australia has been very gen.
erai The aborisines hunt them for food.
They cat the flesh with the skin upon iep
and are especially fond of the hind qraf-
tiers. which are not unlike beef. Emu e9ggI
are used as ornaments. being sometimes,
mounted in. silver and used as milk Jugs OF,
sugar bowls, and the oil is said to be sx-
ceilent for rheumatism. 81
az
But could write a whole letter abouk
Australian birds. The Continent has at
kinds. all sizes, and. I might say, air
shapes In tho north you find the brilliant
plumage of the tropics. and in the south the
quieter hues OF the temperate zone. AlonH
the coasts are great ibises with legs
as thin as pipe stems. with long pink neckA
and with bodies covered with feathers "a
white as snow except under the Wings
where the feathers are black. There arg
many varieties OF parrots, strange mockS
ing birds. humming birds. pigeons and busft
turkeys. Z.
Ihere are kinghshers, and among them
the famous laughing jackass, which has 4
hoarse cry like a angh. which you can
hear for miles you so through the for
ests. This bird has head about as biz
as its body. but its laugh is thousan6
times bigger than both body and head. u
says hal ha! ha. hoo! hoo! hoo! contemptat
ously laughing again and again, until al
last you laugh in reply. 1t IS great reptile I
destroyer. 1t eats snakes. lzzards and okhSSt
such things. and for this reason = IrR
tecfed by law. I'D !
FRANK @. CARPE1CTEh. 81
" - : : a.