122 The Common Crane 
I have never had the good fortune to find the young of the 
Crane. No doubt they are able to run very soon after being 
hatched out, at any rate I have never seen the young in the nest 
nor have | ever met with anybody who has. Wolley has described 
finding the young in Finland some distance from their nest ; when 
he saw them they were much about the size one would expect 
newly hatched birds to be, judging from the size of the Crane’s egg. 
Once and once only did I come across a Crane which unques- 
tionably had young. I knew of a nest in a rather wet marsh 
where the reeds were unusually dense and high and rode out to 
try to see the young. The nest however was empty. As I circled 
round the place on the chance of coming across the young, one of 
the old birds actually rose within 5 ft. or 6 ft. of the horse of my 
arrtero who was riding a few yards on my flank. I instantly went 
to the spot but despite the most protracted search could make 
nothing of it. Unfortunately, I had no retriever with me, else | 
feel confident I should have found the young. That they were 
skulking in the dense reeds and that we rode over them i have 
not the slightest doubt for not only did the old bird’s behaviour 
in allowing us thus to come right upon her show that she had 
young but she subsequently settled close by and gave unmistak- 
able signs by her anxiety that her young were not far off. 
eee 
i, a 6 an 
