The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-08-26
SNAPPED QUEER BIRD DANCE
RARE PICTURES OF PRtIRIB
CHICKENS FOR NEW YORK.

piOfatiOn Of Kirkland Birds for tic Vim.
scum Of Natural History Not Matched
Elsewhere Tho Disappearing Grebes,
Frank M. Chapman. the bird man at IN.
American Museum OF Natural History. dis,
covered some new facts and made som.
new photographs or bis annual ~journsy
into birdland, from which he has juA
returned. He nav that queer, uncanny
dance Of the prairie chickens OF which "a
little Is known, though 80 many stories Of
1t are In circulation, and he photographed
at CLOSE range the quaint little creatures
az they danced.
Among tho sandhflls Of northwestern
Nebraska Mr.. Chapman set up the old blind
which he used 80 successfully In the Haminao
city right beside the prairie chickenf
ballroom. This Ia always q wide, open
space far from any cover, because other.
wise Br'er Coyote might sneak up. Tho
dance begins Just before dawn and lasts
TIL about two hours after daylight; and
each day for q week the bird man spent
these hours In his blind with his camera,
Prairie chicken society holds dances
only in nesting time, and Mr.. Chapman,
Jaw only males dancing. Evidently thew
were Just showing how good they felt in
counting time. and as they danced they
doomed and fought,
The dance 10 q queer, amusing little
strutting movement, quite different from
the birds ordinary walk. AS they strut
they initiate sacks Of skin on either side OF tho
head till they make great orange color
balls, full Of air like toy balloons.
They expel this air with force and energy,
- -Is-- ~ -.-.k~t,,, L---..- -
heard sometimes three miles away Then
two Of the little chaps will fall to fighting,
and they fight exactly like little gameoooks
Mr.. Chapman now has the only photo.
graphs In existence Of this very disorderly
prairie chicken dance. In the museum this
winter will be installed a group showing
the dance In progress, some Of the birds
with the sacks inflated.
Next, he went to Tucson, Ariz., to gee
material for q group showing desert bird
life. 1t Is q cactus country there, and the
cactus is full OF birds. They nest in the
midst OF the prickl7 plants, protected by
the thorns.
There Is the road runner, a bird which
has a wide reputation as running faster
than q horse This Ia not true. A horse
can run it down, but no mar can catch it.
1t is really a sort Of cuckoo, with two
toes behind and two in front, like the tree
cuckoo, which would apparently be handL
cap in sprinting. 1t feeds on lizards.
There are various species Of thrasbers,
all nesting among the cactus; the Inca dove,
the white winged dove, the cactus wren,
titmouse, and many others. Specimens Of
all these were brought back. and what wac
harder In this case, specimens Of the vegeta.
tion-barrel cactus, priokly pear, candle
bush. creosote bush and others.
The preparation Of these for the group
will be a tedious task. Thousands Of thorns
must be picked of by hand. Then the
cactus forms which cannot be preserved
by a fluid, like some vegetation. will DO
used to prepare moulds for their repro.
duotion in papier maohe.
Upon the finished reproduction the thornl
will again be attached by hand. The forty
foot tree cactus annot be reproduced
In the group, but It will be painted In the
background. In this twenty-six foot long
background also will he painted the tow.
ering mountain ranges which surround
Tucson. making one Of the most splendid
bird groups In the museum.
Next the bird man jumped to the Medi.
cine Bow country in Wyoming to get
material for a sagehen and a golden eagle
group. He found the eagles at Bates Hole
in the Bad Lands region.
This group will show a type OF nest not
otherwise seen in the museum; a great
thing built Of limbs, many OF them freshly
broken from pine trees far distant, on the
side OF a rugged, desolate bluff. The sage.
hen group will show a section Of high plains;
covered with sagebrush, with mountains
in the distance.
The next change was into the condor
country Of southern California. The Cali.
fornia condor resembles Its more famoN
pansion Of nine and a half feet from tip to
tip. It Is the largest n almost the rarest
OF North American birds. living only in tho
Coast Range east OF Santa Barbara, and
is almost extinct.
1t has teen killed of in a curious way.
The ground squirrels down there are q
nuisance to the ranohmen n, who have killed
them of by thousands with poisoned grain.
The condor has dined too often and too well
on poisoned squirrels.
Mr.. Chapman found plenty OF them, but
they were In a remote and fri2htfully broken
country, full Of .cahons and p,recipices'
and inhabited only by an occasional prosnec.
tor or bee farmer. The bird man testifes
that the honey, made from mountain
wild flowers. waa delicious. He ruefully
confesses also that the only condors he
saw were about n mile high in the air; but
he got the proper stage setting for a con-
dor group
Next came the Klamath Lakes in south'
eastern Oregon, home OF white r~elicansi
gulls. terms and cormornnts: and here
will be another big background showing
a superb view Of Mount Shasta, capred with
1000 feet OF snow. a far finer view than
the tourists get from the other side. The
floating islands Of tule reeds in these lakes
are full Of water birds. But one, which
Mr.. Chapman went especially to get before
1t was extinct, he found not at all.
This was the grebe. Last year W. L,
Finley, an Oregon naturalist, reported
small colonies Of grebes still living on the
Klamath Lakes. This year Mr., Chairman
found not one, though he found the hodie;
Of several in the water, and he found an1
talked with the murderer.
This was a curious old fellow, half am
phibious, who has spent his life on the eds
Of. civilization, hunting, trapping ana
fishing. Yet this old frontiersman with
ratriarchial white beard knew the lateS
New York price lists for feathers as wes
az any man In New York. New forf
dealers keep him constantly informed.
He discussed the passing Of the gre6es
with entire frnnkness. Last year, he sah3
they were worth only IS cents a piece and
$4,000 ,--AA a. n L. -.tI