Evening star., 1948-04-16
This and That
By Charles E. TrdceWeH
"FARRAGur MEDICAL BUILDING.

FAHhAIOl MGDlSAb oO1LLSAANS'
Dear Sir:
"on a recent trip through the Isle Of Jamaica
where the climate permits practically all OF
the meals to be served out of DOORS was much
impressed with the friendly conduct OF large
black bird which I assumed to be our common
grackle. The yellow eye, black lr1deScent col
oring and curved beak seemed to me to be
typical. did note, however, that some OF the
birds seemed to have more or less bronze spot
on the throat and upper chest. Isn't this prob
ably the boat-tailed grackle so commonly seen
in Florida and on the Gulf Coast? THESE bir0S
did seem to be somewhat larger than the conf
mon grackle we see here
"At several places on the Island whenever
the gong announced q meal was served, these
birds would Immediately be in evidence, flying
down and alighting on the porch rail or cnalr
backs and even occasionally landing squarely
on the table at which people were eating to
steal bread from the bread trays.
THE mongoose which was imported Into the
Island in the 1870s to eradicate the SNAKES
is seen scurrying across the roads IN front OF
the cars very much as our squirrels do here
although the drivers say that they are very
seldom run over. So successfully have they
exterminated the snakes that the last live snake
was reported to have been seen about 70 years
ago.
Lizards of all sizes and hues still, however
are very abundant and probably have been
saved from determination by their more aboreal
habits 1t is difficult to see why the mongoose
should enjoy eating snakes and refuse to make
a meal off a lizard. Local bird lovers seemed
to be apprehensive, however, about the inroads
the mongooses are making on nesting birds
and poultry. To keep them under control, the
natives have developed by careful breeding
small dog with q very slong pointed muzzle
which is trained to stick his nose into the
burrow The monEoose promptly fastens his
faef n, tho do0'S 1inx and when the latter
naturally Jumps back to get away from this
punishment, the mongoose is dragged out with
him where he can be effectively dealt with.
Sincerely yours, P. W., MD"
The sly ways Of the mongoose have endeared
1t to the natives OF Jamaica and OF some OF the
other nearby islands.
"Sly Mongoose," in fact, is the name Of the
most popular folksong of the Island.
That this viverrine animal has become
nuisance is not to be wondered at; such Is the
usual fate of imported creatures.
The common sparrow and the startling are
other instances.
Mongooses are doing damage to poultry in
Jamaica, but probably other creatures do even
more.
The viverrine animals include the ciyet cat
as we'll as the famous fishing cat" often
called the viverrine cat
The boat-tailed grackle is sometimes called
jackdaw in the South. but 1t Is no tackdaw, Of
course but totally different bird.
It is 16 inches long, In contrast to the 12h
inches of the purple grackle.
The bcat-tail has two distinguishing traits
One is that the female precedes the male
in the trip North.
Another is that the male deserts the female,
once Incubation starts, and gathers with other
males who have been equally untrue.
The mother birds protect, feed and train
the young. and with them finally join the
males again.
The nests are placed in colonies in reeds
among swamps, but not in the water, OF
course; some nests are individualistic put in
trees sometimes as high as 40 feet.
The nest Is large, coated with mud. and holds
three to five brown eggs, tinted with green,
and irregularly nbtched with brown and
black.