Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1901-04-29
FEATHERED FREAKS.
BIRDS WITHOUT WINGS ANb BIRDS
WITHOUT SONG.

Bird That Can Run Fnster Than the
swiftest Horse-The Tailor Bird.
"a Birds without wings are found in
New Zealand and Australia. XVII is
the name Il one species. Beautiful
mats are made of the feathers ofthe
white variety, but lit takes ten years
and more to collect enough feathers to
make even small mat which would
sell for about $3.50. 2
Birds without song belong to Ha-
wall. In Honolulu one sees a bird
about the size of the robin, an inde-
pendent sort of fellow, that walks
about like a. chicken, instead of hop
ping like a well trained bird Of the
United States, and it has no song,
81 bird that walks and swims. but
does not fly, is the penguin. No nests
are madesby penguins, but the one egg
laid at a#time by the mother is carried
about under her absurd little wing or
under her leg. asos& Sa
The largest Of fight birds is the Cali
fornia vulture or condor, measuring
from tipto tip 81 to 10 feet and exceed
ing considerably in size the true condor
Of SouthssAmerica. The bird lays but
one egg each season-laTge, oval, ashy.
green IN color and deeply pitted, So
distinctive in appearance thatSsit cam
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. It is believed that
there is only nj 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 it's crop a rim from a
small telescope and three brass but
tons, evidently belonging to a British
soldiers uniform. ss s ~
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 it 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 n hounds nor electric
pacing machines are in 1t for swiftness
when it comes to running. -
Most curious are the sewing or tailor
birds Of India-Iittle 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 a high tree
and with a fiber for a thread and it's
bill for q needle sews the leaf on to a
green n 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 or
ven a 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 uniformrIines in unbroken
perfection. The scurlews are dainty
and charming birds to see, some pink
some white. 4 q &gs
Birds in fight 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
q compass in a strange sea5on q star.
less night. B Ss
Ali very young birds, by a 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 unableto 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 r enough grown 50 that
they al fly. 7Ss $
1t is always a. source Of wonder to
arctic explorers to find such quantities
of singing birds within the arctic cir
Gle. They r abundant beyond belief
But the immense crop Of cranberries
eroWberries and cloudberries that
ripen in the northern sWamps accounts
for the presence of the birds. 5
a stick Of wood seven inches long
and quarter OF a d inch in diameter
was once taken from q Wren's nest. Il
is very singular that SO small and deli
cate a bird should use such rough ma
terial with which to construct its nest
IL 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 II
which nests are found. occasionally al
most give one the impression that bird.
must be endowed with a sense OF hu
NOR For Instance, q wren built it,
nest upon q scareerow, 81 dead sparrow
hawk, which a farmer had hung up Y
brighten away winged raEagers OF hi!
crop. In the pocket Of al old JACKIE
hanging In d barn q bird, also q wren
made Its nest, which when discovered
contained i've eggs. 1t was q robiI
that raised q young family in a churci
pew and robin that built Its. nest II
the organ pipes Of achurch. Places q
worship have always been favortt'
building places Tor birds. s3s5
1&E