The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-09-27
A QUEER CHICKEN FARM
1T Is THE HOBBY OF HOMER DAvEN-
PORT, NEW YORK CARToONIsT.
Net Devoted to Common Poultry, but
Stocked with Rare Fowis-scien-
tfsts Visit 1t.


fdernist OF the National Museum, has re-
Gently returned from a visit to the won
eerful poultry farm and pleasantly Of
Mr.. Homer Davenport. near Elizabeth, n.
j.. where he was sent by the management
OF the museum to study the habits, pose.
attitude, etc, OF certain rare fowls not
found elsewhere in the United States, and
also to procure specimens OF some OF the
more remarkable varieties which he is now
mounting for exhibition at the st. Louis
exposition. II will doubtless be a surprise
TO the public generally to learn that Mr..
Homer Davenport. so well known for his
amusing sketches caricaturing the trusts,
the plutocrats. and the capitalists, is the
owner OF the most extensive bird farm
on the western hemisphere. There is moth
sng like IL in all the two Americas. the
nearest approach to this singular institu-
zion being the park and menagerie OF Sir
Walter Rothschild at Tring, England. All
the money which Mr.. Davenport has earned
during his career one OF the foremost
earicaturists in America he has spent on
this, his one hobby. To give a full and &C
curate description OF this place, so little
known save to naturaIists, bird fanciers,
and men OF science, would require man.
pages. but suffice IL to say that among
dozens OF other rare fowls he is now sue
cessfully breeding, is Andersons kaleege,
n species OF pheasant which Is not to be
found even in stuffed and mounted state,
much less alive, elsewhere In the whole OF
North America. Speaking of his visit to
this most Interesting place, Mr.. Wood,
who IL quite an enthusiast on birds, said:
II am free TO confess that Homer Daven-
ports poultry and bird farm is quite the
most extraordinary place In the United
States. OF course, there are other people
who go In for raising Japanese long-tailed
fowls, Seabright bantams, etc. but Daven-
port IL quite different in his aims and pur-
poses from all these. His object has been
10 secure only such birds as are very rare
and difficult to procure, and he has GER
fainly succeeded wonderfully. The first
thing which attracted my attention to the
left as / entered his place was a small
lake surrounded by trees with beautiful
green lawn sloping back to the roadway.
out OF the water Of the lake. about the base
OF which, few inches above the water,
are nailed pretty little homes for the mat
ing ducks.
THE RARE wOODDUCK.
Here for the first time 1 beheId a beau
tiful American woodduck carefully leading
her young to and fro, the tiny youngsters
looking more like punches OF moving down.
Not far distant / saw another pair Of the
same species making preparations for
housekee ping, while near by beautiful man
DARN ducks were busy overhauling and in
specting the interior OF their tiny domiciles.
In short. there were wild water fowl OF
every continent. thoroughly domesticated
and at home. Plntails running in Indian
file, European widgeons. mallards, and the
attractive little Cereopis goose, with his
stately carriage and dfsagreeable voice.
One admires the little fellow until he ut
ters his cal note. which sounds exactly
like the grun-ing OF swine. Then you feel
sorry for him. BE careful where you
step, calculated the manager, old and
very efncient Scotch gamekeeper, and.
avoid treadinz on what seemed to me a
bunch OF down closer inspection
vealed female mallard on her nest, who
by this time has doubtless Matched out
her brood OF young. Like all the others
these mallardS wander unrestricted and
are as tame as the tamest domestic
stopped to admire a procession of wild
geese. the mother birds in front, the
younger generation following, and the
male birds , prinsins up the rear; Like
these wild geese from leaving, but their
domesticatfon is so complete that they
remain near the feeding house, and are on
hand 80 regularly at meal times as the
others Here also 1 saw Egyptian geese,
with their pretty little spotted goslings.
Don't pick one up says the Scotch mana
need for q glass eye. What he stated was
true, for although these wild birds are do
nesticated they still retain many OF their
Wild traits, and If one wants to have a
serious conflict on his hands let him at
tempt to catch one of their young. In the
same Enclosure 1 also saw the rare banded
headed Indian goose, with Its musical call
note: the cackllnS goose. and the Magel-
1anic goose from the Straits of Magellan
and Terra del FueSo. The cackiing geese
despise the ausrelsome Egyptian species.
and while i was there they found one of
the Egyptian females alone and proceeded
70 give her good beating. Her cries for
help brought one of the males TO the scene.
who scattered the little cacklfng geese right
and left. l also noticed the strange-look-
ing Chinese geese among the collection,
with their curious protuberance over the
bill, reminding one or the horn on the nose
OF the rhinoceros.
BEAUTIFUL PHEASANTS.
from the area devoted to water fowl
We entered that part OF the grounds de-
voted to pheasants. which OF itself is
worth the whole trip. First to meet US
were q dozen. or more speciments of the ex-
ceedinsly rare and beautiful Impeyan
pheasants. their plumsge a perfect blaze
OF gorgeous color. associating harmoniusly
with domesticated wild turkeys. Stranger
still was the sight Of twenty-five or thirty
California quail, with the pretty little top
knots CO the males nodding up and down
they ran about. catching buks and other
insects. I never knew before that the Cali
fornia quail could be domesticated, but
there the proofs that such can be accom-
plished about every hand.
This u probably due TO the fact that the
place where they are kept-a large area of
most beautiful lawn and park-ike wood
land, some fifteen acres in extent-comes as
near being like their native State as II is
possible 10 arrange IL. Not only are these
quail perfectly tame, but they have this
year Matched out large number Of young.
and many OF the hens were incubating
while 1 there The greatest sight OF
all, however, were the Argus pheasants.
Until a year ago these were the only birds
understand, Mrs. George Gould secured a
pair for her poultry farm on the Hudson
The singing cry OF these birds Is most re-
markable. They start at a low note. run
rapidly up the scale, and end with pro-
ionged and weird scream They have a
great habit OF doing this along about mid
night and at = O'Clock a. m, and when he
first got them they alarmed the people Of
the neighborhood. until they learned the
cause of this terrifying noise. The pecul-
TAR horned pheasants. or tragopans. from
the HimalayaS. and the Andersons kaleege.
which later birds have Matched twenty-five
young ones this season. are absolutely the
only birds OF their kind In America"
WILD FOWL FROM BORNEO.
But what interested me the most were
fhe three species OF wild chickens from
india and Borneo. First of all. / was shown
yard fun OF the Indian wild or jungle
owl. gallus bankiva, the Adam and Eve
our doraest.cated breeds. They look for
the world like black-breasted red game