Two-headed Spread-Eagle at Gaxaca, 1723

This is an interesting newspaper article that refers to some sort of mystery bird found at Gaxaca, which is possibly Oaxaca, Mexico.

Extract of a Letter from Cadiz, dated Sept. 8, 1723.

The Vice King of Mexico, who came on board the Azougue Ships, brings to the King of Spain a dead Spread-Eagle, which was shot thro' the Right Wing and Side by a Spaniard, as it was talloning a Faun near a Place called Gaxaca, who sent it to this Vice King, Eighty Leagues to Mexico. It remained Four Days alive. The Vice King ordered above 500 Indians well-skilled in Game, to ply all the Country for the flown Spread-Eagle, and promised a Thousand Pieces of Eight to the Person who brings it alive. This is a young Bird, not bigger than a middling Turkey, of the common Colour of an Eagle, but a larger Breast and Shoulders than ordinary, out of which spring Two Necks Seven or Eight Inches long asunder. On each Neck there is a perfect head of an Eagle, nearly proportioned to each other, save that the Right Head has the Beak something stronger and sharper towards the Extremity. It was seen he watched with one Head, while he fed and preyed with the other, and used both either Way. It has it's Feathers still, except what fell off from the Right Head and Neck, through the mismanagement of the Person who endeavour'd to cure it. The Right Head faces, thro' his Blunder, to the Left Side, otherwise it would form as it lies the Imperial Arms. As no History makes mention of such a Bird, the Admiration is very great, it having always been supposed that the Eagle was first painted with Two Heads on the Devision of the Roman Empire, with out any Intention to allude to the Reality of such a Creature. It made so much Noise in America, that the Notaries Publick lived on the Attestations taken of it some Weeks.

April 2nd to April 9th, 1724. American Weekly Mercury 225: 2. F used in typography of the era, has been replaced with the s to improve readability. One misspelling has been corrected.

Pigeon With a Message Killed in Michigan

A Birds Message.

Two Young Men in Michigan Killed a Pigon [Sic.] Which Hailed from Kentucky.

Battle Creek, Mich., Oct. 3. — A few days ago a young man of this city, named George Butcher, with a couple of his companions, started out for a day's sport hunting and fishing, and selected St. Mary's lake, four miles north of this city, and its surrounding forest as the scene of their sport.

After spending a good share of the day fishing, and having had poor success in securing many representative of the finny tribe, they decided to try powder and shot, as game seems to be more plentiful than fish, and in this were correct, for the squirrels, rabbits, and partridges fell at the report of their guns, and long before night they had the pleasure of seeing their game-bag filled to its utmost capacity. Being satisfied with their day's sport they turned their steps homeward, when a large flock of pigeons flew over their heads. They were the first they had seen, and discharging their shotguns at them, they had the pleasure of seeing several birds fall at their feet. On picking them up George discovered to his surprise that one of them had a small oiled silk bag securely fastened to one of its legs. On opening it he found a note written in a small feminine hand, and which he has since shown to the writer of this. The following is a copy of the singular epistle.

Lexington, Ky., May 21, 1881. This pigeon is one of a number caught by my brother in a net. I conceived the idea of fastening this note to it, and request the finder to write to Miss Eva Carroll, Lexington, Ky.

On arriving in this city a letter was immediately written to the young lady and a reply received. A correspondence has grown out of this romantic introduction, and it has been ascertained that the young lady is the daughter of a wealthy stock-raiser near Lexington, and is young and beautiful, and a wedding may yet grow out of the affair. George thanks his lucky starts that he captured the bird, and perhaps by it the heart and hand of the maid who originated this romantic scheme for correspondence. We await anxiously for the sequel of the pigeon episode.

October 11, 1881. Fort Wayne Daily Gazette 18(74): 7.

A Wonderful Bird - A Nat for the Naturalists

A few days ago Mr. James Mason, of Vernon township, took his gun, and, in company with his dog, started out for the purpose of hunting pigeons. While making his way through a deep, thickly wooded ravine, he heard a swift rushing sound in the air above him, while a dark shadow, similar to that produced by a small cloud, was thrown upon the ground. Of course this movement did not fail to attract the attention of the huntsman, and he glanced upward, when he saw, not as he supposed, a flock of pigeons, but a huge bird circling around above his head, and apparently deliberating about pouncing upon him for its prey. The sight at first somewhat startled Mr. Mason, but upon reflecting that he had both barrels of his gun well loaded, he determined to stand his ground and give "the vermint" as he expressed it, a lively turn. While waiting till the feathered monster had approached somewhat nearer, and was apparently hovering almost over him, Mr. Mason took deliberate aim, and discharging both barrels at once, had the satisfaction of seeing his huge game come fluttering and tumbling to the ground. Highly elated, Mr. Mason sprang forward to secure his prize when an exciting scene commenced. The bird, though badly wounded, was not killed, and put forth a stubborn resistance, beating the air with his wings in so furious a manner that neither Mr. Mason or his dog ventured to approach within a dozen yards, and it was not until he had fired three shots into the head and body of the monster in succession, that he ventured to approach and finish its existence by knocking it on the head with a club. From all accounts this wonderful bird belongs to species now totally extinct, but which lived and flourished, according to Cuvier and Audubon, in the days of the mastodon. It is much larger than any known species of the feathered creation, weighing exactly 92 pounds. Its body is covered with short thick feathers, those on the underside being pure white, while the back is slightly mottled with gray. The wings are nearly black, measuring 12 feet from tip to tip, while the bill is hooked and of a bluish cast. The legs are long and slender, of a pea green color, and the feet webbed like a duck's. From our exchanges we see that a bird of similar character was killed near Mound City, Ill. Mr. Mason has preserved the skin of the monster, and will soon bring it to the city, where it will be placed on exhibition for the inspection of the curious.

October 5, 1868. Fort Wayne Daily Gazette 6(129): 2. From the Dubuque Iowa Times.

A Singular Bird Killed in Kentucky

James Henry, of Mound City, Illinois, on Sunday week, shot a new and comparatively unknown bird, on the Kentucky shore opposite that city, which is thus described by the Cairo Democrat:

It is larger than the ostrich, and weighs 104 pounds. The body of this wonderful bird is covered with snow white down, and its head is of a fiery red. The wings of deep black, measure 15 feet from tip to tip, and the bill, of a yellow color, 24 inches. Its legs are slender and sinewy, pea green in color, and measure 48 inches in length. One of the feet resembles that of a duck, and the other that of a turkey. Mr. Henry shot it a distance of one hundred yards, from the topmost branch of a dead tree, where it was perched, preying upon a full-sized sheep that it had carried from the ground. This strange species of bird, which is said to have existed extensively during the days of the mastodon, is almost entirely extinct — the last one having been seen in the State of New York, during the year 1812. Potter has it on exhibition in his office, at Mound City. Its flight across the town and river was witnessed by hundreds of citizens.

September 22, 1868. Federal Union 39(8): 4.

A Monster Bird in California

Last Tuesday evening about seven o'clock, says the Winnemucca (Cal.) Register of August 9, the people in the lower town were startled by the sudden appearance of a huge monster we are at a lost to know whether to call fowl or beast, not-withstanding it had wings and could fly. It was certainly the biggest creature ever seen in this country with feathers. If a bird, it belongs to a giant species unknown to American ornithology. Our attention was first attracted by hearing some one sing out, "Holy Mother, see that cow with wings." We stepped to the door just in time to see the monster alight with something of a crash on the roof of Mrs. Collier's dwelling house, where it remained for several minutes taking a quiet survey of the land and the astonished multitude who stood gazing at that unexpected visitor. It could not have weighed less than seventy or one hundred lbs., with a pair of ponderous wings, which, when stretched out to the breeze, must have been fully twelve feet from tip to tip. Its color was that of a raven, with the exception that the tip of its wings and tail were white. An "old salt," who happened to get sight of the bird, thinks he must be a renegade member of the condor family. He says he has frequently met with such "critters" on the coast of South America.

Tuesday Evening would have been August 1, 1871.

September 15, 1871. Macon (Georgia) Telegraph and Messenger 6126): 2.