The Camden chronicle. (Camden, Tenn.) 1890-current, 1905-01-20
CHINESE BIRD cAoIRs,
Feathered sonesters from Flowery
kInadom Found in New York City.

TSdLHcTSu SOngStSrS from FloWery
Kingdom Found in New York City.
Since the Boxer war the American
bird fanciers have become more and
more acquainted with the wonderful
fathered creatures of the Middle King
dom. number of large importations
were made six months ago, and since
then hundreds Of cages with brilliant
ly feathered occupants have been COM
ing in upon every vessel and steamer
from Chinese ports.
There's a great demand for Chin
csc birds" said Fourth Avenue deal
er, in speaking of the late importa-
tons. Il don't know why it is, I'm
sure, unless people have been read
ing bird books and books of Chinese
travels, and have whetted their imag-
ination from what they read. | have
calls for all sorts of flying things from
the Celestial country, and in many
cases, have to ask the customer to
describe the birds to me, for | never
heard of them. This branch of natu-
raj history as far as China is con-
cerned has been sadly neglected, and
about all have ever learned upon the
subject l have cleaned from the con-
sular reports and that's mighty little.
| can tell you.
There's an ex-consuls wife who
lives just outside the city who knows
more about Chinese birds than any
in I
send to her for my information, es-
pecially when a bird comes to my
shop which l don't understand. Some
times she'll drop in and sing to it in
Chinese, or whistle to it, and It Will
brighten up and seem to be as glad
to hear its own language as a man.
eyes, we're getting some queer
specimens in. There's the GOLDEN
eagle which the mandarins train for
the chase. He's a noble bird, out
don't know how he will 3Cand the eli
mate here. The country priest is an"
other pretty creature. A ChinamaH
who is a customer of mine calls it the
Shang-Ho-Shang | wouldn't be sure
that it's correct as to name, but any
how the bird nestles up to him, and
guess he knows. The Mongolians have
bred curious species Of cuckoo Oh
ku ku as they call it, who means and
cries almost like an infant, | under
stand They say it weeps blood when
it loses its mate, and Chinese poetry
is full of romantic reminders OF this
e,4,. Il I'll l,
yet, but we hope to by spring. Two
just heard of kind of thrush that 10
new to me, which a Chinese merchant
has imported into San Francisco. IL
is called the tinted eyebrows, on ac'
count of the strange markings above
the eyes. From all accounts it is
beautiful creature, being clothed III
feathers of golden gray and olive. IL
is a good singer, too, and lifts It's So
called tinted eyebrows when it strikes
an especially high note.
CAS- for the poeh-ling, or bird OF
thousand souls I'd give anything for
one. Several have been started on
the journey from Hongkong to San
Francisco for me. but so far they have
not survived the journey, but | have
hopes.
Shall try the experiment again?
Oh, yes; order one sent every few
months, and some time I'll be able to
raise one right here in New York
When l lose my feathered guest by
sickness on the sea and his little body
is delivered to me per express, SEND
for che ex-counse's wife, and she
comes to my store and gives me an
imitation of the song of the 'poeh-ling.'
Is it beautiful? The imitation is, and
she says it's a mighty poor echo. Per-
haps when | hear the real one sing,
however, I may wish | had been salts
field with the imitation. "-New York
Post.