W. H. St. Quintin—The Mantchurian Crane



8



I called in at Gamage’s the other day ; they had just received

a wonderful consignment of African birds—Violet-eared Waxbills,

Bluebreasts, Black-cheeks, Melba Finches, and all kinds of Whydahs,

including the Queen, Pintail, Paradise, and Red-collared species. They

were the finest lot I had ever seen, and needless to say I came away

with a parcel and a much lighter pocket, but happy. The Queen

Whydahs were lovely, and at first all the lot did well. Alas ! I soon

had awful luck. One night the syphon-condenser gas-stove in the

bird-room went wrong, fumed, and filled the room with black smoke,

killing four hen Blue Budgerigars, four Queen Whydahs, four Pin¬

tail Whydahs, two Paradise Whydahs, some Blue-bred Budgerigars,

and others. I was away at the time, and had the news on my return.

You may guess how I felt about the Blue Budgerigars after all my

expense and trouble in getting them ; I felt like clearing out the

survivors and never keeping another bird !


Yet, strange to say, in a day or two I began to wonder how I could

replace what I had lost, and found myself again at Gamage’s and again

writing after Blue Budgerigars. I am pleased to say that a lady Member

has kindly let me have two hen Blues, and I now have two pairs again.

Two cock Blues had survived, so that I now again have hopes of

breeding them.



THE MANTCHURIAN CRANE


By W. H. St. Quintin


Amongst the favourite birds that I managed to keep through the

difficult years of the War is a fine pair of Mantchurian Cranes that

I bought from Hagenbeck early in 1912. They were, I was told,

caught in China in October of the previous year, and passed on to

Calcutta till they were tamed and accustomed to captivity, and then

deported to England in the March following, when I secured them.

They were quite adult, and the bigger bird—but the one with less

intensely crimson forehead patch and paler leaden-grey neck-stripe—

turned out to be the male. On closer examination the male has some

dullish red skin between the eye and the angle of the mouth, which is

wanting in the female, and is probably a good sexual distinction.



