The Crittenden record., 1905-06-09
The Whirring Black Cone Of Eager
Desert scavengers and the Why In
which the Circling Mass Descends
Upon Its Carrion Prey.

N'b'ihNIon httilH W Ittl uulcheHluk
In the air; the plants scent the coming
moisture weeks beforehand; the rush
Ing streams. swollen with the melting
SHOWS from the lower mountain tops.
bring life to the lands through which
they flow; spring Is awakening every.
wherc-except on the alkal plain
Where thin rlnd Of red brown
grass roots partly covers the white
dust parched mesquite bushes 1nd
root. and strange. uncouth organ cacti
rear their columns, like mammoth can
delabra. Here wild eyed cattle roam
uncnslly. nlbbllng occasionally at the
bitter grass stems.
Farther ont In the desert. where even
the mesquite and cact fail. we ride
slowly across the parched surface,
wondering II single living thing can
endure the bitterness Of the earth. In
the distance move the whlrlwlnds of
dust. tall thin columns with perfectly
distinct outlines. undulatlng slowly
here aud there. both life and death In
their silent movement
Most remarkable II seems 10 us when
stray great blue heron now and then
flies silently up from the desert (what
can possibly attract these birds TO snch
place OF death as this. distant even
from the bitter poolsll and flaps slowly
ont of sight. Twice great ebony
raven sails through the dusty air over
our heads the same bird repassing
No other life l. visible save the bal.
anccd black specks high against the
blue. NJ invariably part of a Mexican
day as ARE stars ~ the night IIerons,
vultures. raven-all move slowly. seem
lng less alive than the distant dust
| columns
I But we feel the real spirit OF the
I eternal desert when. as we turn 10 re-.
trace our steps. we spy a something
white. different from the surrounding
earth. and the spell Of past ages falls
upon Us The bitter water Is ever dry.
lng up. the whlrlwinds carry the dust
from place TO place. the birds come
aud go as they please. but this relic of
m elephant of the oldcn time brings
past aud present Into close touch,
What scene, has the desert looked
up1n since this mammoth stagEptei
dying luto the quagmire which proved
lts tombi our eyes smart from the
dust as we reluctantly turn our horses
heads on the back trail. for We should
Ike 10 stay aud search out these fos.
sIls-mure fascinating IN way than
the living beasts aud birds which pco-
pie the tropics beyond.
one of the most wonderful ~ the
exhibitions of bird life vouchSafel to
us In Mexico comcs as We leave the
alkali plain and ride away among the
mesquite scrub \ confused mass "
black appear, In the air. which soon ~.
solves itself into hundrcds u lndlyld.
unl spcckS The atmosphere Is ~ lie.
cclvlug that what at frst seems tn be- q
vast cloud u gnats close NJ hand Il
soon seen 10 b. n multitude ~ birds
| hlackhlrls. perhaps, until We approach
and think them ravens aud, finally.
| when quarter ~ mile away. We
know that they are vulturcs Three
bufro, IT, dead upon the plain This
We knew yesterday. and herr arc the
syaycngcr. Never have We seen yul.
turcs ~ numerous or In such order.
A careful scrutiny through the glass.
- shows many -corc ~ black aud tur.
key huSsar,ls walking about and feed.
mg upon tho carrascS " the animals
Prom this point there extends upward
into the air vast inverted zone "
blrls, all cirrllng IN tho same direction,
From where we slt upon our horses
there seems not a single one out of
place. the outline ~ the conc being as
smooth aud distinct rs though the birds
were limited IN their illrht 10 this par.
tlcular arrn. II i a rarc sight. the sun
lighting up every bird on the farther
side and shadowing black as night
those nearest us
Through ones partly closed eyes
the whole mass appears ~ a myriad
~ slowly revolving wheels. intcrsct.
ing aud crossing zach others orbits.
hut never brraklns their rlrrular ont.
line The thousands II snlrlug forms
hold rs stclllpuud Tor minutes before
We r,lc closer Now change takes
placr as rradual hut as sur as the
shifting clouds " n sunset Cn,il this
moment there Ind been a tendency to
concentrate at the base " the conc,
that portion bccomlnr hlackcr aud
hlackcr. until u seemed n solid mass "
rapidly revolving forms Hut at our
near approach. this concentration
ceases and thcrc l. perfect equilibrium
Tor n time. Then. NJ we ride up rcn.
tie slopc into clearer view. n wonder.
ful Ascent begins slowly the creeping
spiral wings upward. the gigantic Ia
vcrtcd conc. still perfect In shape. lifts
clear of the ground and drifts away;
tho summit rises In curve. which M.
tie by little. trays ont into ragged
lines. all drifting In the same direction,
aud before our very eyes the thousands
NJ hirls merge into a shar'clcss undu'
latlng cloud. which rises and rises.
spreading out more aud more until the
eye can no longer distinguish the hlrls,
which from Nulturcs dwlndle TO mere
notes nosting and lost among the
clouds 90 William Beebe In New