160 ARAMID^E. 



edge of one valve. Mussels and clams close their shells so tightly that 

 it would perhaps be impossible for a bird to insert his beak, however 

 knife-like in shape and hardness, between the valves in order to force 

 them open ; therefore I believe the Courlan first feels the shell with his 

 foot whilst wading, then with quick dexterity strikes his beak into 

 it before it closes, and so conveys it to the shore. Otherwise it would 

 be most difficult for the bird to lift the closed shell from the water and 

 to carry it to land ; but supposing it could do this, and afterwards suc- 

 ceed in drilling a hole through it with its beak, the hole thus made 

 would have jagged edges and be irregular in shape. But the hole is, 

 as I have said, angular and with a clean edge, showing that the bird had 

 just thrust his beak half an inch or an inch between the valves, then 

 forced them open, breaking the piece out during the process, and 

 probably keeping the shell steady by pressing on it with its feet. 



By day the Courlan is a dull bird, concealing itself in dense reed-beds 

 in streams and marshes. When driven up he rises laboriously, the legs 

 dangling down, and mounts vertically to a considerable height. He 

 flies high, the wings curved upward and violently flapped at irregular 

 intervals; descending, he drops suddenly to the earth, the wings 

 motionless, pointing up, and the body swaying from side to side, so that 

 the bird presents the appearance of a falling parachute. On smooth 

 ground he walks faster than a man, striking out his feet in a stately 

 manner and jerking the tail, and runs rapidly ten or twelve yards 

 before rising. At the approach of night he becomes active, uttering 

 long clear piercing cries many times repeated, and heard distinctly two 

 miles away. These cries are most melancholy, and, together with its 

 mourning plumage and recluse habits, have won for the Courlan several 

 pretty vernacular names. He is called the " Lamenting Bird " and the 

 " Crazy Widow," but is more familiarly known as the " Carau." 



Near sunset the Caraus leave the reed-beds and begin to ascend the 

 streams to visit their favourite fishing-grounds. They are very active 

 at night, retiring again at the approach of morning, and sometimes 

 pass the day perched on trees, but more frequently concealed in dense 

 reed-beds. 



As the breeding-season draws near they become exceedingly clamo- 

 rous, making the marshes resound day and night with their long wailing 

 cries. The nest is built among the rushes, and contains ten or twelve 

 eggs as large as Turkey's, slightly elliptical, sparsely marked with 

 blotches of pale brown and purple on a dull white ground, the whole egg 

 having a powdered or floury appearance. When the nest is approached 

 the parent birds utter sharp angry notes as they walk about at a distance. 

 The young and old birds live in one flock until the following spring. 



