Natural History in Anecdote Part 26

This bird which is the handsomest of its tribe is called the King of the vultures, because of the royal honours it receives from common vultures.

Mr. Byam says in his "Central America," "One day, having lost a mule by death, he was dragged up to a small hill, not far off, where I knew, in an hour or two, he would be safely buried in vulture-sepulture. I was standing on a hillock, about a hundred yards off, with a gun in my hand, watching the surprising distance that a vulture descries his prey from, and the gathering of so many from all parts, up and down wind, where none had been seen before, and that in a very short s.p.a.ce of time.

Hearing a loud, whirring noise over my head, I looked up, and saw a fine large bird, with outstretched and seemingly motionless wings, sailing towards the carcase that had already been partially demolished. I would not fire at the bird; for I had a presentiment that it was his majesty of the vultures; but beckoned to an Indian to come up the hill--and, showing him the bird that had just alighted, he said, 'the King of the vultures; you will see how he is adored.' Directly the fine-looking bird approached the carcase, the _oi polloi_ of the vultures retired to a short distance; some flew off, and perched on some contiguous branch; while by far the greatest number remained, acting the courtier, by forming a most respectful and well-kept ring around him. His majesty, without any signs of acknowledgment for such great civility, proceeded to make a most gluttonous meal; but, during the whole time he was employed, not a single envious bird attempted to intrude upon him at his repast, until he had finished, and taken his departure with a heavier wing and slower flight than on his arrival; but when he had taken his perch on a high tree, not far off, his dirty, ravenous subjects, increased in number during his repast, ventured to discuss the somewhat diminished carcase; for the royal appet.i.te was certainly very fine. I have since beheld the above scene acted many times, but always with great interest."

A Feast of Vultures.

Wilson gives the following account of the Black Vulture of America.

"February 21st, 1809. Went out to Hampstead this forenoon. A horse had dropped down in the street, in convulsions; and dying, it was dragged out to Hampstead, and skinned. I ventured cautiously within thirty yards of the carcase, where three or four dogs, and twenty or thirty vultures, were busily tearing and devouring. Seeing them take no notice, I ventured nearer, till I was within ten yards, and sat down on the bank.

Still they paid little attention to me. The dogs being sometimes accidentally flapped with the wings of the vultures, would growl and snap at them, which would occasion them to spring up for a moment, but they immediately gathered in again. I remarked the vultures frequently attack each other, fighting with their claws or heels, striking like a c.o.c.k, with open wings, and fixing their claws in each other's heads. The females, and I believe the males likewise, made a hissing sound with open mouth, exactly resembling that produced by thrusting a red hot poker into water; and frequently a snuffing like a dog clearing his nostrils, as I suppose they were theirs. On observing that they did not heed me, I stole so close that my feet were within one yard of the horse's legs, and I again sat down. They all slid aloof a few feet; but seeing me quiet, they soon returned as before. As they were often disturbed by the dogs, I ordered the latter home: my voice gave no alarm to the vultures. As soon as the dogs departed, the vultures crowded in such numbers, that I counted at one time thirty-seven on and around the carcase, with several within; so that scarcely an inch of it was visible. Sometimes one would come out with a large piece of the entrails, which in a moment was surrounded by several others, who tore it in fragments, and it soon disappeared. They kept up the hissing occasionally. Some of them having their whole legs and heads covered with blood, presented a most savage aspect. Sometimes I observed them stretching their neck along the ground, as if to press the food downwards."

The Secretary Bird.

The Secretary Bird, so called from the possession of feathers thought to resemble pens behind the ear, feeds on snakes and other reptiles. Le Vaillant, who in dissecting one of these birds, found in his crop eleven large lizards, three serpents each a yard in length, eleven small tortoises and a great quant.i.ty of locusts and other insects, once witnessed a contest thus referred in the "Percy Anecdotes":

"When the secretary approaches a serpent, it always carries the point of one of its wings forward, in order to parry off its venomous bites; sometimes it finds an opportunity of spurning and treading upon its antagonist; or else, of taking him upon its pinions, and throwing him into the air. When by this system it has, at length, wearied out its adversary, and rendered him almost senseless, it kills and swallows him at leisure. On the occasion which Vaillant mentions, the battle was obstinate, and conducted with equal address on both sides. The serpent, feeling at last his inferiority, endeavoured to regain his hole; while the bird apparently guessing his design, stopped him on a sudden, and cut off his retreat by placing herself before him at a single leap. On whatever side the reptile endeavoured to make his escape, the enemy still appeared before him. Rendered desperate, the serpent resolved on a last effort. He erected himself boldly to intimidate the bird, and hissing dreadfully, displayed his menacing throat, inflamed eyes, and a head swollen with rage and venom. The bird seemed intimidated for a moment, but soon returned to the charge; and covering her body with one of her wings as a buckler, struck her enemy with the bony protuberance of the other. M. Vaillant saw the serpent at last stagger and fall; the conqueror then fell upon him to despatch him, and with one stroke of her beak laid open his skull."

The Kite. The Osprey. The Buzzard.

The Kite is common in Europe and is sometimes seen in Scotland. It is a bird of the Hawk kind and may easily be distinguished from other birds of prey by its forked tail and the slow and circular eddies it describes in the air whenever it spies its prey. It measures about two feet in length. The Osprey is common in Europe and America. It feeds princ.i.p.ally upon fish, in pursuit of which it frequents the sea coast and the borders of lakes and rivers. It is about two feet in length. The common Buzzard is rather smaller, measuring twenty or twenty-two inches. It nests on high trees and watches on overhanging branches for any prey that may pa.s.s beneath. The Marsh Harrier which measures twenty-one to twenty-three inches is a formidable foe to moles and mice, rabbits and reptiles.

The Falcon.

The Peregrine Falcon so famous in the days of Falconry is a fearless bird and does not hesitate to attack those of much larger size. For this reason it was often employed in hunting the Heron. "In this contest,"

says Mr. Wood, "the Falcon was almost always victorious, and after it had attained a sufficient alt.i.tude, it swept, or 'stooped', as the phrase was, upon the Heron. When the Falcon had closed with its prey, they both came to the ground together. Sometimes, however, the wary Heron contrived to receive its enemy on the point of its sharp beak, and transfixed it by its own impetus." This bird is from fifteen to eighteen inches in length. Mr. Selby in his "Ornithology" says, "In daring disposition, this bird equals most of its congeners. I may be allowed to add the following instance, as having happened under my own observation, and as exemplifying not only its determined perseverance in pursuit of its prey, when under the pressure of hunger, but as arguing also an unexpected degree of foresight:--In exercising my dogs upon the moors, previous to the commencement of the shooting-season, I observed a large bird of the hawk genus, hovering at a distance, which, upon approaching, I knew to be a Peregrine Falcon. Its attention was now drawn towards the dogs, and it accompanied them, whilst they beat the surrounding ground.

Upon their having found, and sprung a brood of grouse, the falcon immediately gave chase, and struck a young bird, before they had proceeded far upon wing. My shouts and rapid advance, prevented it from securing its prey. The issue of this attempt, however, did not deter the falcon from watching our subsequent movements, and another opportunity soon offering, it again gave chase, and struck down two birds, by two rapidly repeated blows, one of which it secured, and bore off in triumph."

The Sparrow Hawk.

The Sparrow-hawk which measures from twelve to fifteen inches long is a terror to smaller birds, showing great pertinacity in their pursuit. Mr.

St. John says that one pursued a pigeon through his "drawing-room window, and out at the other end of the house through another window, and never slackened its pursuit, notwithstanding the clattering of the broken gla.s.s of the two windows as they pa.s.sed through," and that on another occasion he found "a sparrow hawk deliberately standing on a very large pouter pigeon on the drawing-room floor, and plucking it, having entered in pursuit of the unfortunate bird through an open window, and killed him in the room." White says, in his "Natural History of Selborne," "About the tenth of July, a pair of sparrow-hawks bred in an old crow's nest on a low beech in Selborne-hanger; and as their brood, which was numerous, began to grow up, they became so daring and ravenous, that they were a terror to all the dames in the village that had chickens or ducklings under their care. A boy climbed the tree, and found the young so fledged that they all escaped from him; but discovered that a good house had been kept; the larder was well stored with provisions; for he brought down a young blackbird, jay, and house martin, all clean picked, and some half devoured. The old birds had been observed to make sad havoc for some days among the new flown swallows and martins, which, being but lately out of their nests, had not acquired those powers and command of wing that enable them when more mature to set enemies at defiance."

The Owl.

Great interest attaches to the owl from the singularity of its appearance and habits. There are many varieties, the Common Barn Owl; the Long-eared Owl; the Great Eagle Owl; and the American Horned Owl being some of these. The Barn Owl measures about twelve inches in length. This bird does great service in the destruction of mice, rats, and other vermin, and it is the nemesis of fate that it is destroyed by those it serves. Its movements are noiseless, the peculiar form of the feathers of its wings enabling it to fly without making any sound, and so surprise its prey. "Its method of devouring a mouse," says Mr. Wood, "is quite different from the mode in which it eats a bird. If a mouse is given to an owl, the bird seizes it across the back, and gives it one or two smart bites, much as a terrier handles a rat. The mouse is then jerked upwards, and caught again head downwards. A second jerk sends the mouse half down the owl's throat, while its tail remains sticking out of the side of its bill, where it is rolled about as if the owl were smoking. After some time has been spent in this amus.e.m.e.nt, another jerk causes the mouse to disappear altogether, and the owl looks very happy and contented. But if a small bird is presented to it, the owl tears it up and devours it piecemeal." The great Eagle Owl which measures two feet and upwards will attack hares, rabbits, and young fawns.

ORDER VIII.

Wading Birds.

The order of wading birds includes many that we can do no more than mention:--the Moor Hen; the Woodc.o.c.k; the Snipe; the Water pheasant; the Plover; the Lapwing; the Crane; the Heron; the Stork; and the Flamingo are the more familiar birds of the order, which however includes the Crakes; the Coots; the Curlews; the Bustards; the Sandpipers, and others.

The Cranes.

The Cranes belong to Africa and Southern Asia, but migrate from clime to clime as the seasons change. The flight of the Cranes, like that of some other birds, is a compact and well ordered progression. They fly high and commonly at night, apparently under the direction of a leader whose course they follow and whose calls they obey. There are several varieties, the Common Crane, the Numidian Crane, and the Balearic Crane being the better known of these.

The Heron.

The Heron is an expert fisherman and has all the necessary patience for the pursuit of his sport. He will stand motionless for hours at the water side, waiting his opportunity, and then dart with unerring aim at the unsuspecting fish and secure his meal. The bill of the heron is a powerful weapon, and as we remarked when dealing with the falcons, formerly used in hunting the heron, it will sometimes transfix the Falcon by throwing its head back and receiving its enemy on the point.

Captain Brown gives an ill.u.s.tration which shows that the Heron's bill may be as effective in other cases. "A gentleman being on a shooting excursion, accompanied by a small spaniel, observed a heron wading a little above a waterfall. He fired--wounded it--and sent his dog into the stream to bring it to land. As soon as the dog had come within its reach, the heron drew back its head, and with all its force, struck him in the ribs with its bill. The gentleman again fired, and killed the heron; but it had well revenged itself: both dog and heron floated dead together, down the foaming waterfall." The Heron nests on the tops of high trees and lives in companies.

The Bittern.

The Bittern is remarkable for its loud booming cry which has some resemblance to the bellowing of a bull, and for its spiral flight which it pursues to a great alt.i.tude.

The Stork.

Storks are found in different parts of Europe, Asia and Africa. In Holland, and in some other countries, they live in a state of semi-domestication, encouraged by the people, and building nests upon the roofs of their houses. They feed on rats, mice, frogs, and other vermin, and render the Hollander good service by keeping down the numbers of such pests. In the East they act as scavengers, and for this reason are as much encouraged by the people. "A recent visitor to Constantinople," says Mr. Wood, "remarks that the very Storks seemed to have become Ottoman, for they sat on the tops of the houses, looking staid and solemn, as becomes the Oriental character, and managed their beaks just as if they were pipes. It is true that they wore no turbans, but each of them appeared to have left a turban of preposterous dimensions, _viz._, his nest, on the roof of a house close by." The Stork is easily tamed and sometimes shows considerable intelligence.

The Jealousy of the Stork.

The following ill.u.s.tration which we take from the "Percy Anecdotes"

shows that the Stork shares with other birds the feeling of jealousy.

"In Smyrna there are a great number of storks, who build their nests and hatch their young very regularly. The inhabitants, in order to divert themselves at the expense of these birds, and gratify a cruel disposition, sometimes convey hens' eggs into the stork's nest; and when the young are hatched, the c.o.c.k on seeing them of a different form from his own species, makes a hideous noise, which brings a crowd of other storks about the nest, who to revenge the disgrace which they imagine the hen has brought upon her race, immediately peck her to death. The c.o.c.k in the meantime makes the heaviest lamentation, as if bewailing his misfortune, which obliged him to have recourse to such extreme punishment."

A Stork's Revenge.

From the same work we quote the following, which shows that though ordinarily placid and placable the stork can cherish the feeling of revenge. "A wild stork was brought by a farmer in the neighbourhood of Hamburgh, into his poultry yard, to be the companion of a tame one, which he had long kept there; but the tame stork disliking a rival, fell upon the poor stranger, and beat him so unmercifully that he was compelled to take wing, and with some difficulty escaped. About four months afterwards, however, he returned to the poultry yard, recovered of his wounds, and attended by three other storks, who no sooner alighted, than they all together fell upon the tame stork, and killed it."

ORDER IX.

The Geese.

This order includes the Goose, the Duck, the Swan, the Teal, the Gull, the Petrel, the Albatross, the Cormorant, the Pelican, the Penguin, the Grebe, the Great Auk, the Puffin and other birds. The first of these is found in all parts of the world, geese being especially cultivated in England for the sake of their quills and feathers, and for the purposes of food. The goose, far from being the foolish bird it is popularly esteemed, often shows considerable intelligence, as well as great affection for those who show it kindness.

The Grat.i.tude of the Goose.

Many instances are recorded of grat.i.tude shown by geese towards those who have befriended them. Buffon once rescued a young gander from an older and stronger bird, after which his young _protege_ would follow him on all his daily walks, never tiring of his company. "On one occasion," says Buffon, "he heard me talking in the rector's upper room, and as he found the front door open, climbed upstairs, and, marching into the room, gave a loud exclamation of joy, to the no small astonishment of the family."

A Wild Goose Chase.

Bishop Stanley, in his "Familiar History of Birds," says:--"An officer settled on a farm near the Missouri in North America, one day, when walking near the banks of the river, observed a large eagle frequently darting towards the water, and then rising again. On a near approach, he perceived that its object was to take a wild goose, which had alighted on the water, and which was diving to avoid so powerful an enemy. Its efforts, however, appeared to be in vain; and, after diving again and again, and as often rising to get breath, it became nearly exhausted, when, suddenly turning, it made for the sh.o.r.e with all speed towards the officer's house, where two men were at work, and as soon as it had landed walked leisurely up to them, permitting itself to be taken without attempting to escape. It was completely exhausted, but soon recovered, and within three days seemed quite contented, and confident of protection."