112 The Common Crane 
accursed reeds? If he only had a horse all would be well, for then 
he could see what he was about. 
Two days later, I paid a second visit to the Cranes’ stronghold, 
but this time selected another point about two miles from my first 
station and to the east of the marsh, the former being on the south 
side of it. A careful reconnaissance of the great sea of waving 
reeds shortly disclosed to me two pairs of Cranes, whose move- 
ments I watched most carefully for nigh two hours without being 
able to form any opinion as to their meaning beyond that one 
pair had apparently some definite object in view whilst the other 
seemed to be quite irrational in their methods and movements. 
I was unable to revisit the place for some days and then 
went to the olive grove whence I had commenced operations 
on the first day. For a long time no Cranes were visible, but 
other bird life was to be seen in abundance. Immediately in 
front of me, and between my position and the edge of the marsh 
was a sun-baked expanse of dried mud over which a colony 
of Pratincoles (Glareola torqguata) kept wheeling, ever and again 
coming up to mob me in protest of my invasion of their sanctuary. 
In the shallows along the edge of the water some Squacco Herons 
(Ardea rallozdes) in their glorious nuptial plumage were wading, 
whilst beyond them the graceful Whiskered Terns eddied up 
and down. The incessant querulous cries of the Pratincoles and 
the sharp call of the Terns intermingled in an amazing confusion 
of sound but its meaning was perfectly clear: Would I and my 
horse and retriever kindly go somewhere—anywhere—but at any 
rate gO away, at once or sooner if possible? After a long wait, 
two Cranes arrived from the north and alighted in the marsh 
nearly a mile and a half to my front. After much manceuvring 
and changes of position they proceeded to walk through the reeds 
southward. Presently one disappeared the other halting and post- 
ing itself on sentry duty. It was not difficult to come to the 
