The Washburn times. [volume] (Washburn, Wis.) 1896-1976, 1913-10-16
NOTHING TO DRINK !
Animals on Henderson Island Are
Without Fresh Water
Curious Little Geological Colony Dis
covered in. an Out CT the Way
PIace-Corai Reef That Har-
bors Cutie a Menaaerie.

bors Cutie Menaaerie.
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 geological total alb
stainers. The island, which is unin-
habited, is situated about 12O 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 a
swamp, and it is only six miles long,
yet it 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 a fruit pigeon, lori
keet or honey eating parakeet, little
rail or crake and a 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 tie
warbler.
Yet it is evident that these, like the
rest, must do without drinking, unless
the dew can Stake their thirst, or they
have acquired liberation for seaYwater
as a beverage. A similar case is that
wild goose of the Sandwich islands,
which frequents the barren lava flows.
where there IS no permanent water
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.
CAS- 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
their 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 If
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 arr
by nature chiefly fruit eaters, receive
any. They have the opportunity of
drinking now, but do it as awkwardly,
trying to peck up the water with their
seems natural.
ct has been recorded that a great
bustard lived for months in captivity
without drinking, although the species
does drink occasionally; and it may
be suggested that the, bustards are 2
family of birds accustomed to fire.
quent dry places and hence have ac-
CURED a 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 and horn
bills, which are as rule forest birds;
moreover, the family of birds most
especially associated with desert con-
ditions-the sand grouse-do not 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 off by the young.
"The camel itself, proverbial for
it's adaptation to the desert and en-
durance of thirst, is equally in need
Of drinking, although on account Of
the water storage arrangements in it's
stomach it can do without a fresh SUI
ply for. days. Yet it's endurance of
thirst can be maintained only about
twice as long as that of the horse kept
under similar conditions; and as an
abstainer it cannot compare with the
giraffe, the Gland and some of the 9th
er antelopes, which can subsist with
out drinking for months at time and
probably indefinitely.
ability to exist without drinking
is evidently physiological popularity
of certain species or families of ami
mails. and it is obvious from what has
been said above that this power is
capriciously distributed and has no
necessary connection with the crea-
lures environment, though under the
pressure of circumstances it may be-
come invaluable"