Читать книгу Some Curious Flyers, Creepers, and Swimmers - Celia Thaxter - Страница 6
ОглавлениеTHE SCAVENGER-BIRD.
1. The wading birds, living in swamps and along the margin of lonely lakes and bayous, perform a work serviceable to man by keeping down to a bearable limit the vast reptile horde, which would otherwise overrun the country. Frogs, snakes, lizards, and young alligators are all devoured in incredible numbers, and the strange, silent bird, with his long legs and enormous bill, disputes with the alligator the sovereignty of the swamp.
2. Some of these waders have taken up their abode near the homes of men, becoming nearly as tame as the common tenants of the farm-yard. In Holland the stork is a welcome visitant to castle and cottage alike, and, when it builds its nest on the thatched roof of dwelling or stable, the event is regarded as a good omen, bringing health and happiness to the members of the household. Besides being the harbinger of good luck, and a pattern of filial duty, the stork performs a real service in waging war upon reptile and vermin, and so saving the people from many troubles and discomforts.
3. In South Africa, the secretary-bird, a cousin of the stork, is looked upon as one of the best friends of man. This bird seems to have a special animosity against poisonous snakes, and will attack and kill them whenever they are found. When tame, it becomes a peaceful inhabitant of the farm-yard, and very useful in protecting the weaker members of the community from the attacks of vermin and birds of prey. It associates little with its neighbors, and never interferes with them, except to prevent a fight, and cocks and turkeys soon learn to respect the power that is exerted in the interest of peace.
4. Another member of this family of birds, and the largest of them all, is the marabout of tropical Asia and Africa. This immense bird is nearly as tall as a man, and its outspread wings would reach from side to side of a good-sized room. It stands on sturdy legs and strong feet, with toes wide-spreading and partly webbed, so as not to sink easily in the mud. Its feathers are of a dusky ash color above, with somewhat changeable tints, and white below. The side and under tail-feathers are long, white, light in texture, wide-spreading and delicate, rivaling those of the ostrich in form and beauty.
5. The neck and the head of this bird are large, nearly bare of feathers, and are covered with a reddish, warty skin. In front, from the lower part of the neck, a fleshy wattle, like that of the turkey-gobbler, hangs down several inches in length. The bill is yellow, broad at the base, and tapering to a point, and as long as a man's arm. It opens so wide that the bird can take in a cat or a quarter of lamb and swallow it whole. At a distance it resembles an officer in light-colored waistcoat and breeches, and hence the English have given to it the name of the adjutant-bird.
The Adjutant-Bird. Showing the Foot resting from Heel to Toe upon the Ground.
6. The first joint on the leg of a bird above the ground does not bend forward like a knee, but it turns back like the similar joint in the leg of the cat. This joint is the ankle, and all birds and many animals are toe-stepping, never resting the whole foot upon the ground. The bear, as well as some other animals, treads upon the whole length of its feet, and seems to shuffle along rather than walk. It is hence called a plantigrade or foot-stepping animal. The adjutant, when resting, places its whole foot upon the ground, like the plantigrade animals, and seems to be squatting rather than standing.
7. In its wild state, the marabout lives in lonely marshes, on frogs, fish, and such other inhabitants of the water as it can pick up. It does not hesitate to attack poisonous reptiles; and in India, where the cobra is so dreaded, this bird is regarded as a friend of man, and is protected both by law and by the general sentiment of the people. It is easily domesticated, and in Calcutta and other cities of India it roams unmolested through the streets, eating up everything in the form of garbage, and effectually performing the service of a scavenger. At meal-times these birds draw themselves up in line in front of the barracks, to eat the refuse thrown out by the soldiers, including enormous bones, which they swallow whole.
8. When tamed and kindly treated, the marabout attaches itself to its owner—sometimes, indeed, becoming very troublesome in its familiarity. It is related that one of these birds was accustomed to stand behind its master's chair at dinner-time and take its share of the meal. It was, however, a great thief, and was always looking out for an opportunity to steal the food on the table, so that the servants were obliged to keep watch of him with sticks in their hands. In spite of their vigilance, it was often too quick for them, and once it snatched a boiled fowl off the dish and swallowed it on the spot.
