Free trader-journal. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1916-1920, 1918-01-17
FEMALE OSTRICH
BOSS Of HOUSE
MALE IN SOUTH AMERICA
MATCHES EGGS SHE LAYS
Explorer Reveals Secrets Of Bird and
Animal Life in Swamp
Wilds There.

animal Lire ~ o"aHP
Wilds There.
A jungle ADVENTURE. lean. lOOsel!
knit. with eyes the color OF W01(
smoke, face ineradicably Drowned b!
tropic sun ami with a remarkably
pleasant smile, sat at big mahogany
table in the directors office of The
American Museum of Natural History
at New York, \. Y. rafting of stories
OF South American exploration that
might be hard for conservative minds
TO accept without photographs to back
them up. But for every tall tale there
were photographs.
The jungle Traveller was George X.
Cherrie. friend and fellow explorer OF
Col. Theodore Roosevelt. who accom-
panied the colonel down the perlOus
River of Doubt lit is the Rio RooSe-
welt now. and who has just returned
from bird and animal hunting in the
Paraguayan and Brazilian swamps.
Just back with 5000 bird skins and
400 animal skins for the museum, in
GLIDING many new and interesting
specimens of the strange fauna OF the
southern continent and with 1850
photographs of queer birds. M
Cherrie offered rapid word pictures
of his adventures.
He told of South American male
ostrich, a truly home loving gentle
mau. who friyols at ostrich cabarets
and tango parties; of newly discover.
ed woodpeckers with bills curved like
sickle; of parrot apartment houses,
built on the community plan, with
elevators for each floor; OF giant
anteaters that climb trees. and Of
other freaks and wonders of the dark,
damp jungles.
And first of all Mr.. Cherrie proceed.
ed to demolish one or two immemor.
tally held notions of trOpic bird and
reptile life. Re says it is quite mis-
take to believe that tropic birds are
usually brilliantly colored or that
yenomouS snakes are the nuisancpand
danger in the tropics that they are
even in this country.
The explorers blue eyes twinkled
as he offered with some hestancv the
tale of the home loving henpecked
ostrich
one OF the most interesting parts
OF my quest in the swamps of
Paraguay 100 miles in the interior Of
the little known country, was the
study of the South American osttich.'
said Mr.. Cherrie. BY working very
carefully, creeping forward on my
stomach like a snake | was able to
get some fine photographs OF the os.
trches. discovered that the male
bird attends to the incubation of the
eggs, while the female occupies her
self in flirting and in other rather I'M
domestic friyolities.
These ostriches, which are much
smaller than the South African bird
about half the size--have communi
~ nests in which the females deposit
The eggs and consider thereafter that
they have done enough for the family
When the eggs are laid Papa Ostrich
sits upon them, matches them and then
when the chicks peck to The open air.
takes care of the family"
The jungle man betbough. himself
OF the community parrots living all so
cheerlully in their big apartment
houses. And he reached for photo.
graphs before he told the story.
Nothing was more interesting" he /.
said. These parrots build immense
nests IN the tops of trees, nests made .
to accommodate 200 birds or more
Tie entrance to the community nest +
is rom below by tubes of thorny twigs /
most cunnlngly devised and construct .
ed, In TACT the engineering genius dis .
played by the community parrots is
astonishing. The entrance tubes lead
10 various parts of The bis nest house
and might be said to be elevator sery.
ice for various groups. The nests are
vooled slantingly so as to throw Off
rain"
on yes, he added, found many
new specimens of the woodpecker fam.
ny, including the wood newer.
powerfully billed insect devourer
which fairly rips the back TO CATERS
When his hunger stirs him. one Of
'ne varieties has bill four and one
nan inches long which is in the shape
o. half circle or of d sickle blade.
Mr.. Cherrie paused.
on, don't stop his visitors chorus.
ed.
We'll, in that case" resumed the
explorer, Il might tell you about tbe
treat anteater Of South America that
caught IN the act of climbing tree
30 Iar as know science was unawa,.
mat the ant bear could shin M a tree
hguflng that he stuck to the ground
in nus hunt for choice morsels Of ant
nesh--but | caught him climbing and
nave Photographs to prove H."
Steam Against sails.
Modefh naval development, mov ho
said IA h,,Nu t.uu, ,,.l.t =, -