The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1901-06-11
FEATHERED FREAKS.
BIRDS WITHOUT WINGS AND BIRDS
WITHOUT SONG.


swiftest Horse-The Tailor Rird.
Birds without wings are found in
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 q small mat which would
sell for about $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 a chicken, instead of hop
ping like a well trained bird of the
United States, and it has no song.
\ bird that walks and swims, but
does not 1y, 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 9la 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
l;,,;,,~
there is only one in captivity.
Another large bird is the rhnoceros
bird, which is about the size of tur-
key. One recently shot on the island
of Java had in its 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 a horse
is the road runner of the southwest.
Its aliases are the ground cuckoo, the
lizard bird and the snake killer, snakes
being 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 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 tailor bird picks up a
dead leaf and flies up into high tree,
and with q fiber for a thread and its
bill for a needle sews the leaf on to q
green one 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 OF monkey Oh
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 unbroleu
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 without
q compass in a strange sea on a star
less night.
All very young birds. by wise pro
5 vision of nature, are entirely without
fear until they are able to fly. The
) reason of the delayed development OF
, fear is that, being unable to fly, the
J birds would struggle and fall from
their nests at every noise and be killed
, Suddenly, almost in 4 day, the birds
} develop the sense of fear, when theil
feathers are enough grown SO that
J they can fly.
1t is always a source of wonder tc
arctic explorers to find such quantities
of singing birds within the arctic cir
Gle. They are abundant beyond belief
: But the immense crop of cranberrieS
crowberries and cloudberries thai
ripen in the northern swamps accounts
/ for the presence of the birds.
+ A stick OF wood seven inches Ions
j, and q quarter Of an inch in diameter
was once taken from q wren's nest.
f is very singular that so small and deli
| Cttlc u DlIu SIOuiu use SUCH rough ma
, terial with which to construct its nest
1 If an eagle should use material pro
, portioned to its size, it's nest would b,
5 made up of fence rails and small saw
logs.
t The extraordinary situations il
which nests are found occasionally al
| most give one the impression that bird
] must be endowed with sense of hu
NOR For instance, wren built it
nest upon Il scarecrow, a dead sparrow
, hawk which n farmer had hung I'D t.
brighten away winged ravagers of hi
, crop. In the pocket Of an old JACKIE
hanging in a barn a bird, also a Wren
made its nest, which when discoveret
contained five eggs. 1t was Il robiI
that raised young family in a churcl
pew and Il robin that built its nest il
the organ pipes OF church. Places o
worship have always been favorit
building places for birds.