Tárogató, 1945-1946 (8. évfolyam, 1-7. szám)
1945-11-01 / 5. szám
TÁROGATÓ IS really beautiful, on the back it is a rich cinnamon colour while the wings and tail are black banded with white and buff. Like the woodpecker, the Hoppoe nests in a hole in a tree, and is a very poor housekeeper. When the eggs are hatched, since the parent birds make no attempt at cleaning the nest, it soon becomes filthy and evil smelling. Among the birds of abomination mentioned in the Bible is the lapwing. Scholars insist that the Hoopoe is the bird that is intended and that the name lapwing is a mistake. The lapwing is a bird of the plover family and is far from a bird of abomination. Its flesh is very tender and very good to eat, though why anyone should wish to eat a lapwing is something of a mystery to bird lovers. The Hoopoe was considered by the ancients as something of a divining-rod as it was supposed to be able to detect underground springs of water and was thus used when a new well was to be dug. In Egypt the Hoopoe is treated as a sacred bird. Maybe this explains why it was placed among the birds of abomination, as apart from superstition, and its filthy nest, there is nothing the matter with its flesh as an article of diet. Among the superstitions concerning the Hoopoe is the one that it is able to hear secrets and that anyone who has a matter to hide had better stay away from the bird. Another superstition is that it has healing qualities and can cure sickness and disease. This is the reason why it is called by some The Doctor Bird. It is also a matter of history that the very remarkable head, with its long curved beak and golden crest is used by the witch doctor as a charm, which we venture to say has never worked. In Southern Europe, despite the bird’s supposed sacred character and crested head, the flesh is eaten and those who have tried it declare it is most delicious. So when we read in Lev. 11:19, “And the strok, the heron after her kind, and the lapwing and the bat”, and wonder why the lapwing is named in the company of the birds unclean, let us remember that Moses did not mean the lapwing at all; but the Hoopoe. —Canadian Boy. BIRDS THAT CANNOT FLY New Zealand is the home of a queer bird known as the Kiwi. They cannot fly, but hidden under their brown or grey feathers that look like long, loose hair, are a pair of tiny wings. Their bill is long and slightly curved and helps them to feel their way around at night when they look for food. They spend most of the daytime rolled up in a ball or stand with their bill touching the ground as a support. The female Kiwi lays one or two eggs in a sort of burrow and the male sits on them most of the time. The eggs are very large; almost as large as an ostrich egg. The baby Kiwis are very unusual birds for when they leave their egg-home they are fully feathered and can take care of themselves without any help from their parents. —Canadian Boy. PRINCESS ELIZABETH’S DUTIES Now that the Duke of Gloucester is Governor-General of Australia, the only senior member of the Royal family left to deputise for the King and Queen is Princess Elizabeth. She may be called on to appear in public for the King on quite important occasions, for she has already carried out many official tasks. The Princess has been making a close study of political matters, and she may soon pay her first visit to the House of Commons when it is in session. A thorough knowledge of British methods of government will be essential to her when she comes to the throne. Of course, the Sovereign does not take sides in politics in Britain but always understands every aspect of the subject. —Canadian Girl. THE CROWS HOLD COURT By IF. J. Copsey Walking in the woods late on a mid-November afternoon, we were surprised at the absence of the birds. We made our way through ten acres of oaks, maples and pines, but the only bird we saw was an owl. the light yellowish underparts showing up brightly as he floated on silent wings just about the tree tops. Returning to the house, we asked, “What happened to the birds? There are none in the woods.” “Look beyond your neighbour’s barn,” was the reply. “The crows are holding court, and perhaps all the other birds in the district are looking on.” The barn was three hundred yards away and beyond it a bluff that sloped down to the barn. Taking a pair of field glasses
