The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-12-15
FRIENDSHIPS AMONG BIRDS.
Life I'm the Flying Cage in a Zoolog-
zeal Park.

New York Evening Post
Eighty more birds live in the great
flying cage of the New York Geological
Park and make entertaining community.
The famingOes and various species OF
herons may be called the aristocrats. their
motions being generally slow and dignifed
but the so-called common people-the mag
pies, crows, pelicans, cormorants, ducks
and many others-are the most active, and
are continually showing in their interrela-
tons a real intelligence which birds are
not generally credited with possessing.
Strange friendships have sprung up be-
tween different species of birds. One young
fiamingo was for a time ostracized, and he
and a demoiseIle crane, which had lost it's
mate, became inseparable. They ate, fed
and slept together. the dissimilarity in their
appearance and habits being no hindrance
to their affection. But the most interesting
case of friendly intercourse between diff
ferent species was a glossy ibis and three
Java tree-ducks. This ibis is the Paul Pry
of the collection, being always on the move
and probing with his long curved bill into
every crevice in search of small insects,
etc How the mutual benefit agreement
arose 1 never knew, but one day this ibis
the little tree-ducks his sensitive bill nerv-
ously searching through the feathers, prob
ably for lice, and after that 1t was a daily
occurrence.
The three tree-ducks would each be
standing on one leg fast asleep when the
ibis would begin one one of them. This
would generally unbalance the duck, and
waking from a sound sleep he would some
times be cross and peck spitefuly at his
disturber, but the latter perssting, the
duck would brace himself on both feet,
shut his eyes, and allow himself to be
pushed and nudged as the ibis carefully
made little burrows through his plumage,
under his wings and even around his eyes.
All three ducks accepted the good offices
of the ibis, but other species has been
seen TO form similar friendship.
PehcanS and cormorants, when their
daily life is watched for awhile, seem moth
ing but frolicsome boys spending most of
their time in play or in practical joking on
their neighbors. When a pelican walks
fast, he waddleS, and his attention being
taken UP with his pursuer. he stumbles
over everything, The cormorants, curious
looking birds, mind their own business.
Diving under the water, they will swim
under its surface for the whole length OF
the pool, and suddenly come up close to a
doing pelican TO the latter's momentary
CONSERVATION.
OF all the birds in the fying-cage the
crows and magpies are the most active and
amusing. They remind one of nothing so
much as two warning bands of robbers, and
each faction almost daily plans and ex-
ecutes some new ruse TO outwit or cut of
one or more of the opposing clique. They
are often mixed up in noisy broils, Crap
| ping with each other, and rolling over un-
| Til it seems as IL the death of one must
cnsue, but no serious damage is ever done.
| Half an hours watching a few days ago
showed several interesting passages al
arms between these rival bands. The mag
|. pies lay in ambush for one or the crows