The Savannah morning news., 1902-06-22
MIDGET BIRD WHIPS GIANT.
Condor of the Andes Retired From
Tiny Jungle Cock.

Tiny Jungle Cock.
Fromth New York Mail and Express.
When the great South American con-
dor of the Geological park, in the
Bronx, was placed awhile ago in the
flying cage, with the crows and mag
pies, herons and jungle fowl, it was
matter of doubt, Notwithstanding his
apparently peaceful and playful dis
position, what would be the fate of the
smaller birds in the cage. G. William
Beebe, who was watching the big fell
low, says it was the unexpected that
happened.
After rustling and arranging his
great wing feathers. some of them over
two feet in length" relates Mr.. Beebe,
"the condor started on a tour of in
spection. When he approached the cor
ner of ten cage which a tiny jungle
cock had appropriated for the use of
himself and his little brown hen, the
condor was stopped by the midget, who
fuffed up his feathers and planted
himself squarely in the way of the
intruder Condor made a vicious lunge,
but did not reach the little bird, and
the latter, like lightning, darted on
the back of it's huge antagonist, pecked
and struck with spurs and retreated.
1.-THE condor followed. and there re-
suited one of the most ridiculous en-
counters, la David and Goliath,
which can be imagined. The condor
tried in vain to strike the jungle cock
with his wings or reach him with his
beak. The brave little bird moved like
a flash, now pecking at the mighty
legs, now at the tail, on the back
everywhere except where the condor
expected to see him.
Finally Goliath retreated in disgust,
" he CT of Lra
of the little warrior, spread his ten feet
of wings and with several great flaps
lifted himself to the top of a nearby
stump How the little fellow did crowl
The condor never trespassed on his
corner again.
"The condor pays little attention to
the other birds, which treat him with
marked respect, all except the mag
pies They will snatch a piece of meat
almost from his very beak. One day
he was found executing a kind of war
dance around a Frustrated fiamingo.
The latter was uttering agoniZed
grunts, and now and then the condor
would make a harmless dive at the
outspread ytings of the flamingo, arous-
ing still greater terror in the latter.
The great vulture had evidently not
the slightest intention of harming the
other bird, but only looked at it in the
li2nt OF a new Scarlet n, Dul
tears were running from the eyes of
this fiamingo, which evidently feared its
last hour had come.
Like kitten chasing its tail, the
condor amuses himself for hours by
trying to catch with his beak the tip
of an outstretched wing. Slowly NOV
ing the wing forward, he draws back
his head and covertly watches it, as if
it were some living object; then sud-
denly shooting out head neck he pur-
sues 1t. Round and round he goes, the
tantalizing tips of the feathers being
always just out of reach. At times he
gets so dizzy that he tumbles over on
the ground Picking himself up with
dignity, he rearranges his plumage and
repeats the performance, perhaps with
the wings on the opposite side.
when the grass is being raked he
delights to pounce suddenly on the
rake and try 70 snatch 1t from the
hands OF the workman, and he goes
almost wild in his efforts 10 hold on to
a broom when IT is dragged before him
over the ground"