Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-07-22

long necks are twisted in numerous Won
drous but always graceful shapes and all
the time the sprawling webbed feet of
each bird farther from it's antagonist
keeps tanning the air.
All these antics, and many others
equally interesting, the pelican goes
through with continually; but IT is doubt
full whether any of the other antics at
ford such deep-seated merriment and
amaZement as when the bird opens it's
bill to the full extent of it's powers. On
such occasions l have actually seen small
children shrink away, as If fearful that
the bird might take them and all the i'm
mediate surroundings in and store them
away in the capaciouS pouch, which
springs into fine view whenever the own
er feels drowsy or strives for fish tossed
into the cage by keeper.
Winged Health Officers.
1.-THE pelicans have voracious appetites.
That pelican Is a delicate eater which
does not consume at least five good-sized
fish a day-sufncient dinner meat for as
many families. This is in addition to
grain, cracked corn and wheat being rel
ished by the bird.
In their natural state pelicans live
largely on fish, but in many parts of the
West Indies the brown pelicans also gain
a considerable portion of their food sup
ply by acting as scavengers for COM
munities that are too reckless of their
weIl-being to keep the streets clean,
In the harbor Of Jeremfe, Hayti, is
rock know az Pelican rock, because at
all hours of the day and night 1t is liter
ally hidden from view by the bodies Of
brown pelicans. Groups OF these pelicanS
are continually making trips between
rock and town, where they fill their cav
ernous pouches with the collection of the
streets and fly back to the rock to digest
what they have scooped up
The inhabitants of Jeremie appreciate
the great service which these birds render
them, and, while human life is none TOO
sacred in the town, to harm or Kill
brown pelican means fine of five hundred
dollars. If the offender should be lucky
enough to escape with his life from the
hands of an Infatuated mob. Along the
coast of Costa Rica the brown pelican also
does meritorious work as a scavenger.
Birds That Fight.
Peaceful as all these different species
of water fowl seem to be together. have
to keep an eye constantly open for bellig-
erent birds. When 1 discover a bird waging
battle in deadly earnest with one Of its
own kind, or any other cage mate. that
bird is Immediately removed from the fly
ing cage and solitary confinement is its por-
ton ever after.
This belligerency is confined to no one
species, being largely individual; but If
were called upon to state which birds, as
individuals, are most given to fighting,
would reply the berons. Still, as you see,
quite a number of herons are in the cage
at the present time, and are at perfect peace
with their cagemates. which include, among
others, storks, cranes, egrets, ducks and
geese bitterns and vultures.
LAS for the smaller birds, such as the
linnets, thrushes, nightingales, canaries,
ETC., they go evenly on their way, requiring
no more care than is bestowed on the feath
cred pets by various households In which
canaries are favored.
The chief interest in these diminutive
creatures of the air seems to be taken by
persons of foreign extraction. They recog
nize certain birds as being Indigenous of the
fatherland, and will stand wistfully before
the cages holding the feathered ties to the
old country. l have more than once heard
solid looking Germans talking In all serious
ness to birds imported from the forest re-
gions of Germany, where the peasants
have peculiar fondness for trapping and
breeding various species of songsters; and,
incidentally, they make a good living there
by. 1t is from the cottages of these peas
ants that America receives almost its entire
supply of canaries.
'All told l now have about one thousand
different birds to minister to. This Is doing
fairly well. think, when 1t is remembered
that the collection of all species, except tie
readily marketable songsters and one or
two others, is both accidental and Incl
dental and therefore mighty irregular"