106 RIVERBY 



disposed of their long legs, but never quite suc- 

 ceeded. They are very shy, and their nests are al- 

 ways so situated as to enable them to see in every 

 direction. I had a great desire to possess a pet 

 crane, but every attempt to raise one resulted in 

 failure, all on account of those same slender legs. 



"The egg I placed under a ' sitting hen ' (one was 

 as much as a hen could conveniently manage) ; it 

 would hatch out all right, and I had no difficulty in 

 feeding the young crane, for it would eat anything, 

 and showed no shyness, quite different from a 

 young prairie-chicken; in fact, their tameness was 

 the cause of their death, for, like Mary's little lamb, 

 they insisted on going everywhere I went. When 

 they followed me into the house, and stepped upon 

 the smooth floor, one leg would go in one direction 

 and the other in the opposite, breaking one or both 

 of them. They seemed to be unable to walk upon 

 any smooth surface. Such ridiculous-looking things 

 they were ! I have seen a few pure white ones, but 

 only on the wing. They seem more shy than the 

 yellow ones. 



"Once I saw a curious sight; I saw seven or 

 eight cranes dance a cotillon, or something very 

 much like it. I have since read of wild fowl per- 

 forming in that way, but then I had never heard of 

 it. They were in a meadow about half a mile from 

 the house; I did not at all understand what they 

 were doing, and proceeded to investigate. After 

 walking as near as I could without frightening 

 them, I crept through the tall grass until I was 



