The Kalispell bee. [volume] (Kalispell, Mont.) 1901-1901, 1901-06-13
FEATHERED FREAKS,
BIRDS WITHOUT WINGS AND BIRDS
WITHOUT SONG.

BIRDS WITHOUT WINGS AND BIRDS
WITHOUT SONG.
The Penguin IL a Bird That Walks
and Swir,s, but Does Not Fly-A
Bird That Can Run Faster Than the
Swiftest Horse-The Tailor Bird.
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 a small mat which would
sell for about $3.50.
Birds without song belong to Ha-
wall. In Honolulu one sees bird
about the size of the robin, an indie
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.
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 flight birds Is the Cali
fornia 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 N appearance that it can
not be COMPOUNDED with any other.
The California condor Is rapidly ap-
proa thing 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 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 British
soldiers uniform.
A bird which is swifter than 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 dull brown in
color. Its 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 India-little yellow things not
much larger than ones thum. To
escape falling a prey to snakes and
monkeys the taller bird picks up q
dead leaf and flies up into high tree,
and with fiber for thread and its
bill for needle sews the leaf OF to a
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 flight
of the curlews of Florida winging Their
way to their feeding grounds miles
away, all In uniform lines in unbroker
perfection. The curlews are dainty
and charming birds to see, some pink
some white.
Birds in flight often lose their bear
ings, being blown aside from theil
. course by the wind In this case they
: are as badly off as a mariner withoC
a compass in a strange sea on a star
less night.
All very young birds, by wise pro
J vision of nature, are entirely withou1
fear until they are able to fly. TIT
reason Of the delayed development o.
fear is that. being unable to fly, thu
: birds would struggle and fall from
, their nests at every noise and he killed
Suddenly, almost in a day, tie birds
: develop the sense Of fear, when thei
: feathers are enough grown 10 tina
they can fly.
1t Is always a source Of wonder t,
arctic explorers to find such qmntitie
of singing birds within the arctic cir
}, Gle. They are abundant beyond belief
J. But the immense crop Of craIberries
crowberries and cloudberries tina
: ripen in the northern swamps account
e for the presence of the birds.
=. A stick Of wood seven inches Ion
and a quarter of an inch in diamete
{. was once taken from q wren's nest
is very singular that SO small and del
n cate bird should use such rough ma
terial with which to construct its nes
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