Evening capital news. (Boise, Idaho) 1901-1927, 1914-08-23
Fort combraFrom Photograph by

Photograph by Kermit Roosevelt
run, going as fast as rabbits. One headed
back for the nearest patch of Jungle, which
it reached. The other ran at full speed
and ran really fast, too-until it nearly
reached the other patch, hundred yards
distant, the dogs in full cry immediately be-
hind it. Then it suddenly changed its mind
wheeled in its tracks, and came back like
bullet right through the pack. Dog after
dog tried to seize it or stop it and turned to
pursue it; but its wedge-shaped snout and
armored body, joined to the speed at which
it was galloping, enabled it to drive straight
ahead through its pursuers, not one of
which could halt it or grasp it, and it reach
ed in safety its thorny haven of refuge. 1t
had run at speed about $50 yards.
was much impressed by this unexpected
exhibition evidently this species of arma-
dillo only curls up as last resort and ord-.
narily trusts to its speed and to the protec-
ton its build and its armor give it while run
ing, in order to reach its burrow or other
place of safety. Twice, while laying railway
tracks near Sac Paulo, Kermit had accident
ally dug up armadillos with steam shovel.
There are big anthills some of them of
huge dimensions, scattered through the
country. Sometimes they were built against
the stems of trees We did not here come
across any of the poisonous or biting ants
which, when sufficiently numerous, render
certain districts uninhabitable They are
ordinarily not very numerous; they kill
nesting birds, and at once destroy any big
animal unable to get out of their way. 1t
has been suggested that nestlngs in their
nests are in some way immune from the at
tack of these ants. The experiments of our
naturalsts tended to show that this was not
the case. They plundered any nest they
came across and could get at.
Once we saw a small herd of peccaries
one SOW followed by three little pigs
they are said only to have two young, but
we saw three although, of course, it is pos
sible one belonged to another sow The
herd galloped into mass of thorny cover
the hounds could not penetrate; and when
they were in safety we heard them utter,
from the depths of the jungle, curious
moaning sound.
On one side we passed clump OF palms
which were fairly abaze with bird color.
There were magnificent hyacnth macaws
green parrots with red splashes; toucans
with varied plumage, black white, red, yell
low; green jacmars; flaming orioles, and
both blue and dark-red tanagers.
1t was an extraordinary collection All
were noisy. Perhaps there was a snake
that had drawn them by its presence; but
we could find no snake. The assembly dis
persed as we rode up; the huge blue ma
caws departed in pairs uttering their hoarse
'ar-rah-h, ar-rah-h."
1t has been said that parrots i'll the will
derness are only noisy on the wing. They
are certainly noisy on the wing; and those
that we saw were quiet while they were
feeding, but ordinarily when they were
perched among the branches, and especially
when, as in the case of the little paraquets
near the house, they were gathering ma
terials for nest-building, they were just as
noisy as while flying.
The water birds were always delight.
We shot merely the two OF three specimens
the naturalists needed for the museum.
killed a wood-ibis on the wing with the
handy little Springfield; and then lost all the
credit had gained by series of inexcusa-
BILE misses, at long range, before [ finally
killed jabiru
The Formidable Jabiru.
Kermit shot jabru with the Luger