Morris tribune., 1901-05-04
FEATHERED FREAKS.
BIRDS WITHOUT WINGS AND BIRDS
WITHOUT SONG.

Bird That Can Run Faster Than the
Swfftest HOrse-The Tailor Bird.
Birds without wings are found in
New Zealand and Australia. Kiwf 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 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 it 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 a time by the mother is carried
about under her absurd little wing or
under her leg.
The largest of fight birds is the Cali
fOPnia vulture or condor, measuring
from tipto tip 91a to 10 feet and exceed
ing considerably in size the true condor
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 it can
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. 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 it's crop a rim from a
small telescope and three brass but
tons, evidently belonging to a 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, western Texas and southern
Colorado and California it is found.
The bird measures about two feet
from tip to tip and is dull brown in
color. It's 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 it comes to running.
Most curious are the sewing or tailor |
birds of lndia-little yellow things not |
lor ~
escape falling prey to snakes and |
monkeys the tailor bird picks up a |
dead leaf and flies up into high tree, |
and with fiber for thread and its |
bill for needle Sews the leaf on to |
green one hanging from the tree. The |
sides are sewed up. an opening being |
left at the top. That nest is swing
ing in the tree no snake or monkey or
even man would suspect.
Many a regiment cannot compare in
perfection Of movement with the fight
II the curlews of Florida winging their
way to their feeding grounds miles
lway, all in uniform lines in unbroken
perfection. The curlews are dainty
Ind charming birds to see, some pink,
Iome white.
Birds in flight often lose their bear
ngs, being blown aside from their
course by the wind. In this case they
ire as badly off as mariner without
| compass in strange sea on a star
ess night.
All very young birds, by wise pro-
vision Of nature, are entirely without
ear until they are able to fly. The
eason Of the delayed development Of
ear Is that, being unable to fly, the
Dirds would struggle and fall from
heir nests at every noise and be killed.
suddenly, almost in day, the birds
evelop the sense Of fear, when their
Gathers are enough grown so that
hey can fly.
It is always a source Of wonder to
rctie explorers to find such quantities
f singing birds within the arctic cir
lie. They are abundant beyond belief.
But the immense crop Of cranberries,
roWberries and cloudberries that
ipen in the northern swamps accounts
or the presence of the birds.
A stick Of wood seven inches long
nd a quarter Of an inch in diameter
vas once taken from wren's nest. It
) very singular that so small and deli
ate bird should use such rough ma
erial with which to construct its nest.
f an eagle should use material pro-
'ortioned to its size, it's nest would be
made up Of fence rails and small saw
0gs.
The extraordinary situations in
which nests are found occasionally al
nost give one the impression that birds
1ust be endowed with sense Of hui
nor. For instance, a wren built its
est upon q scarecrow, dead sparrow
awk, which a farmer had hung up to
tighten away winged ravagers Of his +
rop. In the pocket Of an old jacket
angling in barn bird, also q wren,
made its nest, which when discovered
obtained five eggs. It was a robin
hat raised young family in a church t
ew and a robin that built its nest In q
be organ pipes Of church. Places Of
Worship have always been fayortte !
uilding places for birds.