Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1920-09-09
On Behalf of Turkey
BuZZardS
By Frederic J. HaskiH
r ASHINGTON, D. c., Sept. 4.
With several state health
departments threatening to
ma Ike Mar ON the turk aV


anthrax and hog cholera. the two
most dreaded of stock diseases, the
Biological Survey here has charged
to the rescue. The turkey buzzard
attention, is now in for a dash of
publicity.
In DR.. w. L. McAtee. who seems
to be special counsel for the turkey
buzzard, and the other learned gov
eminent naturalists, the slandered
corps of attorneys. These gentlemen
ere as skillfuI at applying the white
wash as a political press agent. Ills
a loathsome and ferocious beast, in
deed, which they cannot prove to be
a friend of man. They have been
history through the newspaper col
umns, with the object of saving the
lives of countless birds, beasts and
reptiles, which man has long been in
the habit of killing on general prtn-
ciples.
Take the case Of the hawk At the
sight of a hawk or any kind it used
to be the invariabIe rule to run for
for shotgun. But by making mar
tyrs of a few hundred hawks and
aniaIyzing their stomachs the Biologi-
cal Survey proved conclusively. that,
with few exceptions, the hawks are
friends of man. At killing mice and
rats they beat the average cat. A
really Well-posted farmer never
shoots at a hawk any more without
first ascertaining whether 1t is a
friendly philanthropic hawk or
pOultry-killing hawk.
Saving the Owls
The owls are likewise defended.
Dr. L. K. Fisher, a man of consid-
cradle bulk, climber every day for
many months into a high tower of
the Smithsonian building to exam
f.
pair of owls up there, with the re-
suit that he proved them innocent of
barnyard depredations and RESPONSE
Bile for the death of many a mouse
and rat. These facts were mailed,
wired and cabled to all parts of the
civilized world, SO that henceforward
it is your duty before shooting an
owl to ascertain whether he is Bubo
Philanthropicus, the rat-killer, or
Bubo Terrificus, who dimes on game
and poultry.
Even the snakes have not been re
jected as clients by these biological
pleaders. Owing to his unfortunate
share in the scandal Of the Garden
of Eden, the serpent has been in bad
odor ever since the rise Of Christian
ity. But as a matter of fact, only
some snakes deserve to be murdered.
Little or nothing can be sGid in favor
of poisonous snakes, but the great
majority of snakes in this C 4ntry are
not poisonous. Thus the title gar
ter snake we are taught to love. He
kills mice and gophers and does us
NO harm. The terrible-looking black
snake, so often killed, is also arm
less and useful. He is constr ctor
too small to construct a man, and
he should be encourag ed to live IN
der the porch or in the garnet, as he
is SO fond Of doing. If he cray g
INTO bed with you on a cold autun
night, just lie still and he will no
annoy you.
But to get down to the turkey buzz
zard. Here is a bird that faces a
strong circumstantial case against
him, and who has few charms that
appeal to the jury. Just as it is easy
to clear pretty widow, who, in
petulant moment, has Drained heI
husband with a rolling pin, so is it
little bird like the bob white, who
sits on a fence post and whistles.
But it is hard to find anything
charming in a buzzard-an ugly, ILL
smelling bird that lives on carrion
and has bald head as ugly as sin.
Furthermore, this bird undoubtedly
dimes on the carrior Of animals which
have died of anthrax and hog cholera,
and 1t seems reasonable, therefore,
that he should be a carrier of these
diseases.
A Heroic Stomach
In defending him against this
charge, DR.. McAtee instantly seizes
upon the buzzard's one strong point,
which is his digestion. Any bird that
lives on meat in the last stages of
decay must have a strong stomach.
The assumption is quickly proved to
be correct. A scientific test shows
that this phenomenal digestive sys-
tenn Of the buzzard is death to germs.
An anthrax or hog cholera germ may
go through chicken and an opossum
and come out alive, but not so the
buzzard. For q germ the interior of
a buzzard Is a death chamber. This
has been shown beyond dispute.
The only way, then, in which the
buzzard could carry germs would be
on his feet or on his bill Inasmuch
as he never goes near stock that is
alive and well, he could not be much
of a menace in this way-not as
much of menace as several car
rion-eating domestic creatures, nota-
bly, the chicken, and not near as
much of a menace as the common
Why, then, make war on the buzz
Yard? 1t is utterly unreasonable.
And the buZZard is a useful bird.
Do not overlook that. He Is literal
ly ubiquitous in the temperate and
tropical portions Of America, and in
many tropical countries he, is pro
tected by law and never shot. In
these countries he is often as tame
as a sparrow, and his ungainly form
adorns the roofs and chimneys of the
towns. Especially in Mexico is he
valued, where people are killed a
buried. The turkey buzzard is the
Mexican national cemetery. In him
are buried the heroes of a hundred
revolutions.
Any rural landscape that LIS robbed
of its buzzards has suffered serious
&c
gone.
The Champion Flyer
And the buzzard, continue the can
ny scientists, while not a beautiful
or charming bird, is nevertheless an
interesting one. His habit of dining
on carrion and Of disgorging it again
for the benefit of his young may repel
you. His bald head and ungainly
figure are against him, unless you
have taste for the grotesque But
Let him take wing, and he is another
bird bird; t,,n Instantly he, becomes
incredible. The art of soaring-that
is, of flying without moving the
Wings-has been brought by him to a
state Of perfection that neither other
birds nor men with their machines
can emulate: Indeed, he Is both the
model and the inspiration of the air.
plane. Watch a buzzard some day.
He will soar for hours without NOV
ing a feather, so far as you can
see, and will cover a wide range at
high speed without apparently los
ing his elevation. He has a way of
volplaning against the wind so THAT
he rises sharply without any visible
effort. He scars so high that no
that terrific height he is studying
Athe landscape in great detail. Lie
down on the ground anywhere in the
great western desert country, and in
all probability two or three buzzards
Where did they come from? From
the depths of the sky. And soon
these will be sighted by others, and
veritable flock of buzzards will be
carefully scrutinizing you. They
are not obtrusive. They do not
come too close and they do not make
a sound. They merely wish to see