The new enterprise., 1905-08-03

kSl l@IlD Tor various parts OF tne
globe on all manner of pc.
culiar quests; but one Of particular
note to those interested In natural his
tory or in unusual pursuits for women
is now being planned here.
In the tropics is a wonderful great
white bird, nearly six feet tall, and
with plumage which glistens with the
marvellous sheen of satin. This bird is
rare, so rare that even natural bistor.
! ians confess that but little is known
of it, Its scientific name (and naming
| T. is about as far as the scientists have
got) is Mycterla Americana, but it is
commonly called the iabiru, which title
is hard to take seriously, as II sounds
almost like a joke on the bird or part
OF nonsense rime. So far as is
known, not one Of the species is to be
found in any museum in the world,
and it is principally to gain specimens
of the snowy bird that Mrs Il, L. Kerr
is forming the expedition which will
90 to Central America and the United
States of Colombia, Mrs. Kerr has
lived in the tropics for nearly twenty
years and has devoted most Of her
time to the study and collection of
birds and animals found there, being q
naturalist of no small knowledge, and
a woman of remarkable courage and
endurance. Her husband is q mining
engineer, his work leading him far
from the paths of civilization, and on
all of his travels he has been accom-.
panied by Mrs. Kerr, who has thus
had uneQualed opportunities for eX-
ploring territory little known to natur-
alists.
The iabiru is by no means a barn
yard fowl even there, Mrs, Kerr hav-
ing seen in all the time she was travel
ing not more than a dozen Of them,
and in out-of-the-way places always
She is an expert shot and has killed
five or six Of these treasures of the air,
but has never been able to preserve
the skins, as she had not the necessary
materials with her. The first she ever
saw was while she was hunting egrets
in Guatemala. she and her husband
were camped on an island in a large
delta formed by the union Of two rivers
and she went out alone with her gun.
As she was standing by a little pool
she was startled by the appearance
overhead of a huge white bird, which
she saw at once was something new
and strange TO her. The wings of the
iablru have an unusual stretch. the
end feathers alone being at least twen-
ty-four inches long. and it flies with
remarkable swlftness. As it came
near. Mrs Kerr shot it and it fell with
a mighty tapping and splashlng in the
shallow water beside her, Upon in
spcction Mrs. Kerr saw that 1t was Il
iabiru, but Of variety unknown 10
her,
The best known are the Australian
species, but these American birds,
which are found from Mexico south to
Patagonia. are more imposing and
beautiful. being at least n third larger
and Of gayer plumage, The Australian
jabiru is white, but with a bare black
head, the neck and legs the lower half
OF the wings and tail being a dingy
black also. The one TO be searched for
by this expedition has the bare head
and neck, but the feathers are all white
and Of a peculiarly shining, simmer
Ing appearance while the lower third
Of the neck is covered with coral-hued
wattles. giving a touch of brilliant
color TO the huge bird. The massive
beak, nearly n foot long and slightly
upturned, is black and polished like
ebony. The jabIru is exceedingly shy
and difficult Of approach, frequentins
only remote, swampy districts and
building its nest always in the tops of
the tallest trees, 1t belongs to the
wading birds, being a member CT the
crane family, and lives entirely on fish
In eight months spent in Guatemala
Mrs. Kerr saw but one ether jabiru
besides that one she shot, but in the
swamps on the shores Of the Gulf Of
Nicoya, on the Pacific coast Of Costa
Rica, she found at ere time and an
other nearly dozen and killed several.
When Mrs. KeT's expedition goes to
the tropics her knowledge as to the cx-
act locality where the birds may To
found will be Of ilcalculablc value.
She hopes to secure and mount lne
specimens for several museums.
1t is not alone for the jabiru that the |
expedition Is being arranged. Mrs. |
Kerr says that Central America is an |
unexplored treasure land for natural |
lists, being the meeting place for the |
Northern and Southern Hemispheres, |
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