Indiana daily times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1914-1922, 1921-08-11

more than one pair of birds will use the
same mound, so .that for about fifty yards
around it every scrap of leaf and litter
has been gathered UP for nesting ma
terial. The outside OF the mound Is
usually loose dry leaves, so that 1t re-
Quires less attention than that of the
malice hem though the male bird fire.
quently tests the temperature, which re-
mains fairly steady at about 96 degrees
by scratching a hole and pressing his
ieshy breast into it. The chicks remain
in the mound for about twenty-four
hours after they are Matched, and dur
ing that lime free themselves Of quill
or fllm-like sheath which covers and pro-
tects the wings when they leave the shell
The little fellows, like the lOwan chicks.
have to look out for themselves, fly about
at once. go to a convenient perch as if
they had known 1t for months, and take
no notice Of the old birds Nor does the
chick chip the shell as poultry do. but
with a sudden, strong wriggle skaters
and casts 1t away in many pieces.
BIRDS NAMED
CARELEsSLY.
The Australian pioneers seemed to have
named their birds somewhat carelessly.
Some six varieties Of water heron are In
variably called cranes, while their one
true crane ia named the native compan-
ION Standing nearly four feet in
height, Its slate gray eyes touched off
with a few patches Of red about the bare
head. it is a prominent somewhat state
~ bird figure, as you watch 1t stalking
over the plains. Its lapses from sohrlety
are as sudden as they are comical In
one instant a flock of them are all Quak-
ers In gray-in the next an eccentric
bird ballet, hopping. farping, twirling
In a curious frolicking dance, which
ends IS suddenly ms it begins.
Though il raids a wheat field occasion
ally, the native companion does good
work for the settlers all the year In keep
ing down plague locusts, bush mice and
other pests
Among the great varieties Of retrels
which frequent southern seas, the mutton
bird. nearly as large as 6 duck, Is in
teresting because Of it's habits and the
use made Of il. On the tslands between
Tasmania and Australia is a half-caste
native population which lives almost
wholly on or by button birds
The birds nest in small underground
burrows returning year after year In
myrads to particular localities known as
"r0okeries" In early November, snd
punctual almost to a day, tho great hocks
which have ranged the Pacific Ocean al
most to the equator, go south to thej
breeding grounds, where they suddenly
appear In millions just after sundown-
As each bird enters its burrow there Is a
weird squawking. croaklng and squeal-
Ing. which multiplied m'lNonfold IN
the dark seems like the sounds described
I'm Dante's Inferno
The mutton birds lay one egg. 50 nearly
corresponding in size and flavor to
duck egg that more than one amateur
poultry breeder who stocked his incuba-
tor with what he believes to be Ayles
bury eggs has. to his amazement, hAtched
out sooty petrels. "EgGi.g" excursions
10 camp out near the rookeries and col
Loot eggs are arranged every sprin, but
the autumn crop OF young birds taken
in the month Of March (which is autumn
in this part Of the WORLD is for the half
breeds of the islands The young birds,
then extravagautlv fat, are hooked out
Of the burrows, killed, skinned and pick