The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1906-05-07
THE Willy HERON.
Clever Tricks That Protect the Bird
From Its Enemies.

Clever Tricks That Protect the Bird
From Its Enemies.
Nature seems to have provided some
animals with wonderful mimetic adap-
tations to protect them from their enc
mics. A naturalist cites an example Of
this. He had fired at South American
heron which was stealing through some
rushes, but ON coming to the place
could see nothing Of the bird. He was
on the point of turning away when a
strange sight met his eyes. This Is how
Re describes the scene:
There stood my heron on a reed no
more than eight inches from my knees
and on a level with them. The body
was erect, and the point Of the tail
touched the reed grasped by his feet
The long, tapering neck was held stiff,
straight and vertical. and the head and
beak, instead Of being carried Oblique-
~, were also pointing up. From his
feet to the tip of his beak there was not
a perceptible curve or inequality, but
whole was the flgurethe exact coun-
terpart-of straight, tapering rush,
the loose plumage being arranged to fill
all inequalities. The wings, pressed IN
to the hollow sides, made 1t impossible
to see where the body ended and the
neck began or to distinguish head from
neck or beak from head. This was q
front view, and the entire under sur
face Of the bird was thus displayed, all
Of uniform dull yellow. Not move
ment did the bird make. 1 placed my
hand on the point Of his beak and
forced the head down till it touched the
back. When l withdrew my hand up
few the head like a steel spring to its
first position. l repeated the expert
ment several times, with the same re-
suit, the very eyes Of the bird appear.
ing all the time perfectly immovable.
But how CHANGED it that while walk
ing round the bird through the PUSHES
had not seen his striped back and
broad colored sides? Thinking thus, I
stepped round to get side view, when
all could see was the rushlike front
Of the bird. His motions on the perch
as he turned slowly or quickly round,
still keeping the edge of the bladelike
body before me. corresponded 50 exact
~ with my own that 1 almost doubted
If had moved at all. After watching
the bird thus for some time took him
forcibly from the rush and perched
him on my hand, when he few away
to some dry grass fifty or sixty yards
distant. Here he again practiced his
mimetic tricks so ably that I CROPPED
about for quarter of an hour before
finding him. 1 was amazed that a crea-
ture apparently so frail should be able
to keep the body rigid so long.
Information CheerfuIly Furnished.
The train had stopped at little tow
In Kansas
The passenger in the check suit who
was sitting by car window opened
a conversation with the native on th<
station platform.
seeing trains go through IL about
al the excitement you have here. isnY
it7'' he asked.
NO." said the native. I'VE got :
gas well here. It ketched Hre ulster.
oay. ana we had q dickens Of a time
putin 1t out"
How did you manage itr'
Wen. sf. after we'd tried every
tnlng else We TUX old Bill Flaxham
soused him In the boss trough. dumped
MN on the mouth Of the well ana III,
nre went out all to wun6E
why couldn't you have used anv
other man just a. wellr'
Cause. sir, old Bill E1axham n n.
"ssest sponge In the hull dasue6s-
But here the train moveA e0-cha
eARo Tribune.