The searchlight. [volume] (Culbertson, Mont.) 1902-current, 1911-02-10
Rare Specimens on Way to ex-
perimentaI Career in Chicago.
Animal Keeper of Lincoln Park Zoo
viii Try to Duplicate Natural Diet
Of His Gorgeous Guests
From New Guinea.

Chicago.-The birdhouse at Lincoln
park Is all fiutter over the expected
arrival Of two birds of paradise. For
the first time In the history of zoologi.
cal gardens In the United States Cy
de Vry will attempt to keep the large
emerald bird In a temperate climate.
The new acquisitions were pur-
chased in London from a dealer who
had obtained them In New Guinea
Both are males. as they only possess
the brilliant colors and long aigrette
feathers.
The birds are an experiment with
u.s." said Mr.. de Vry, seated in his of.
flee. surrounded by group of pet
monkeys, porcupine. Persian cat
and a few other geological sundries.
which help him to think quietly.
Take the question of feeding. These
birds hail from New Guinea. where
the books say their menu include all
sorts OF insects, tropical worms and
the grain and seeds which birds find
in the jungle. II they arrived here in
summer We might supply some flies
and few grasshoppers. with an occa.
sional worm. to their epicurean tastes.
What can do In frozen country
Not very much. but in way a woman
down in Mount Hope, Pa. has come to
my rescue. She has started business
OF raising mealworms for birds. I Or
der 10000 at a time. With them and
some rice and other small grain hope
10 keep the emerald birds of paradise
alive"
According to the stories told by Mr..
de Vry no bird in the world is quite as
interesting as this emerald specimen
All through the middle ages the bird
was the subject Of many fables and
legends. Occasionally some sailor In
the East Indian seas would bring back
the skin and feathers OF one. The spe-
cimen would always lack legs. This
gave rise to the fable that the bird was
legless.
The legend explained that the bird
OF paradise never alighted. but was ac-
customed to float around in space
above some East Indian Olympus
whence come its godlike name. The
continued that the female
bird made her nest in the splendid
plumage Of the male and there Matched
her eggs. The difficulty Of catching
the birds, and even Of seeing them,
hidden as they usually are In the dense
foliage Of the teak trees In the thick
est parts of the jungles Of East India.
kept alive the stories.
The actual behavior of the bird Of
paradise is stated now. according to
Mr.. de Vry. to be as interesting az the
old legends When the visitor ap-
proaches bird Of paradise. II the bird
feels cheerful, the sounds he. hi. no.
haw" are uttered as q welcome. When
angry or gloomy. dismal "whock.
whock. whock" is all that is offered
the guest.
Mr.. and Mrs. Patty. the two Ameri-
can black bears. which have been
guests OF the Lincoln park commits.
sioners some twenty years. were visit
ed by two storks a few nights ago.
The little black bears weighed scarce
y a pound apiece. They are the first
10 be born in Lincoln park. and among
he first to be born In captivity.
The parents are very large, as black
bears 60. each weighing between 700
md 500 pounds. Their progeny. how
sver. were smaller than puppies. The
bears are savage all out Of proportion
% the weight Of their offspring. and
when Charles Johnson. one Of the