Webster City freeman. [volume] (Webster City, Hamilton County, Iowa) 1884-1946, 1913-10-07
Animals on Henderson Island Are
Without Fresh Water
Curious Little Geological Colony Dis
covered in an Out Of the Way
Place-coral Reef That Har-
bors Quite a Menaoerfe.

Recent Investigations on the little
known and rarely visited Henderson
or Elizabeth island have led to the
discovery Of complete and curious
little colony of zoolozical total alb
stainers. The island, which is unin.
habited, is situated about 120 miles
northeast of Pitcairn island-itself
sufficiently out of the way, but famous
as the home of the descendants of the
mutineers of the Bounty.
There is no water on it, not, even q
swamp, and it is only six miles long,
yet 1t harbors quite a menagerie-a
kind Of rat, lizard, described as very
abundant, and no fewer than four
kinds Of birds, all peculiar to the ISL
and. These are fruit pigeon. lori
keet or honey eating parakeet, little
rail or crake and reed warbler. The
strange thing about the inmates OF
this curious natural little aviary OF
coral rock. surrounded by waves in
stead OF wires, is that two of its in
mates are birds, one especially asso.
ciated with water-the rail and the
warbler.
Yet it is evident that these, like the
rest, must do without drinking. unless
the dew can slake their thirst, or they
have acquired federation for sea water
as beverage. A similar case Is that
Of the peculiar and very handsome
wild goose of the Sandwich islands,
which frequents the barren lava flows.
w fc
supply, but it feeds juicy food. such as
sow thistle and berries. Here we get
an even more aquatic type Of bird ma
rooned on dry land, but the Sandwich
island goose takes to water readily
enough when kept in Europe.
AS to the existence of ANIMALS
without drinking, it Is well known
that many have the power of sustain
ing themselves in this way, and the
phenomenon occurs irrespective Of
tkeir diet being vegetable or animal
at any rate in some cases." says the
Standard in commenting upon Hen.
derson island life. Rabbits, as is
well known, can live without water II
given plenty of salad, and SO can Par
rots if supplied with sop; yet both
will drink on occasions. So will hawks
and owls, but these birds can subSist
for long periods without drinking in
captivity; in fact, under the old man.
agement at the ZOO the owls never
had any water given them. Neither
did the curious hornbills, which are
by nature chiefly fruit eaters. recelve
any. They have the opportunity OF
drinking now. but do it as awkward1y.
trying to peck up the water with their
great bills, that the habit hardly.
seems natural.
1t has been recorded that great
bustard lived for months in captivity
without drinking, although the species
does drink occasionally; and It may
be suggested that the bustards are q
family Of birds accustomed to fire.
quent dry places and hence have ac-
quired power of abstinence.
But, setting aside the fact that
the great bustard is often found near
water, this explanation would not
serve In the case of parrots aid harm
bills. which are as rule forest birds;
moreover, the family OF birds most
especially associated with desert con-
ditions-the sand grouse--do lot show
any tendency to dispense with drink.
ing. Indeed, they are very dependent
on water flying to their drinking
places twice daily, and watering their
chicks by soaking their own under
plumage in the fluid. which is after
ward sucked of by the young.
1.-THE camel itself. proverb4sf for
its adaptation to the desert and en-
durance Of thirst. is equally in need
Of drinking, although on account of
the water storage arrangements ,ftfats
stomach 1t can do without fresf sup
ply for days. Yet it's endura6ce Of
thirst can be maintained only about
twice - long as that of the horse'kept
under similar conditions: and. aA an
abstafner II cannot compare WITH the
giraffe, the Gland and some of the 9TH I
ar antelopes,> which can Eshstss with
out drinking for months at time and
probably indefinitely.
ABILITY to exist without drinking
Is evidently q physiological pccul5hklty
Of certain species or families Of chi
mails, and II is obvious from what has
been said above that this power is
capriciously distributed and nss no
necessary connection with the csea-
lures environment. though under he !
pressure Of circumstances It Exy - |
come invaluable"
Birth Of q Play.