"Study in Natural History: The Widower."

Otago Witness, Issue 2561, 15 April 1903, Page 72

"Study in Natural History: The Widower."

The following amusing "Study in Natural History" is from the pen jf Dorothy Dix : — "The Widower. — This interesting bird, concerning whose habits little that is authoritative has been written, is believed by ornithologists to belong to ;he Phoenix familj (manibus easy consolibus), because it has the power to rise from its ashes in resplendent plumage and renewed youth. "The Widower k a migratory bird, and at intervals maJte6 its appearance in every community, but bo greatly is it esteemed as a household pet, and so keen is the pursuit after it, that it rarely escapes the net of the fowler for long, and few of the specie* are to be seen at large.

"In appearance the Widower is what may be called interesting, rather than beautiful, though it varies greatly at different ages. When it is young it has a sad and melancholy air, and utters plaintive notes that make every female who hears it long to console it. But this sorrowful ewan song lasts mly during the first few months. After that it grows chirpy and chipper, and blithely carols, a merry roundelay that greatly resembles ' A hot time in the old town to-night.' "The plumage if the Widowei is also worthy of note, for it has the peculiar, ehamelon-lik quality of hanging under different conditions. During captivity it almost invariably wears c garb of sombre huo unfashionable in cut, and frequently pcmspicuoufcly unpreened and unkempt.

"The moment, however, it becomes free this trange bird blossoms forth in a beautiful and gorgeous -oat of lively hues that is calculated to catch the eye from a distance ; but as soon ac it is again -aught and caged it moults its fine feathers and resumes it's unattractive appearance.

"No one has ever been able to account for this idiosyncrasy, but 'the phenomenon )f the Widower doing his lightning change act into a butterfly, or back into a grub, may be witnessed daily. Thia peculiarity, unfortunately, often causes great disappointment to the owners, as not infrequently a female goes to great trouble to capture i Widower, thinking it a Bird of Paradise, only to discover when she has got it home that it is nothing but a scarecrow. Thus, from this simple circumstance, does nature teach us not to buy a bird by its looks.

"Concerning the anatomy of the Widower ornithologists differ greatly, though all agree that it is All Heart. Some authorities contrcid, however, that this organ, in eiee and shape, is like an omnibus, while others hold that it is of the elasticity and durability of a football. It w interesting to observe that 6ome of the most earnest and painstaking investigators along this line of scientific research are women, and we may confidently look for valuable light '.o be thrown on the subject in the near future.

"The thief characteristic of the Widower is, as has been stated, ite ability to arise from the ashes of the funeral rivre — ac long as it is its wife's funeral — with renewed youth. Reputable eye-witnesses declare that they have teen one of these birds, droopy, with draggled tail feathers, and one leg swathed in red flannel bandages for rheumatism, suddenly metamorphosed into a giddj young thing that could dpmce the two-step and stay up all night, and that looked like a two-year-old. It has also been observed that the oftener the Widow«r arises from the ashee the younger it becomes, until after about the third rejuvenation "nothing but a dpbutante is young enough to attract itr attention.

'"In its habits the Widower i=> n ouviorf. combinaticm )f the fly bird and the barnyard fowl, for while its giddy flights are. interesting it is admirable, because it knows how o scratch for a living. It ha«. too, generally a well-lined nest, instead of having to build one.

"In a way the Widowor fiassomf-tliing of th& predatory characteristics of the hawk, and knows that tl.e only way to cjet a thing is to take it, and tins causes it tc oftpn pounce upon th most charming young pullet in the bunch and bear her away, 3jader the very «yes of her chaperon. On

the whole, though, it conducts its love-mak-ing after the manner of the nightingale, and sings- a song of such surpassing jweetness that no heart can resist it.

"There are many reasons why women should have ». 'great fondnes" for Widowers and a desire to possess one. It is always much more comfortable to have a thoroughly trained pet about itie house than one that one has to domesticate themselves.

"A Widower's firat owner has always taken the edge off of it and taught it little tricks, and it knows when to pipe up, and when to sit on its perch and keep mum, all of which renders it a most desirable ornament for the parlour or boudoir. "Inasmuch as tho Widower has once been caught in the matrimonial trap, it has been argued that it showed lack of intelligence in allowing itself to be snared a Gecond time. The truth seems to be, however, that after having once had its wings clipped, it does not know what to do with freedom, and co returns to the cage through force of habit."