THE CRANE KIND. 



555 



Corn is their favourite food ; but there is 

 scarcely any other that comes amiss to them. 

 Redi, who opened several, found the stomach 

 of one full of the herb called dandelion; that 

 of another was filled with beans; a third had 

 a great quantity of clover in its stomach ; 

 while that of two others was filled with earth- 

 worms and beetles ; in some he found lizards 

 and sea-fi^h; in others snails, grass, and peb- 

 bles, swallowed perhaps for medicinal pur- 

 poses. It seems, therefore, that these birds 

 are easily supplied ; and that they are noxi- 

 ous to corn-fields but on some particular oc- 

 casions. 



In general it is a peaceful bird, both in its 

 own society, and with respect to those of the 

 forest. Though so large in appearance, a 

 little falcon pursues, and often disables it. 

 The method is, with those who are fond of 

 hawking, to fly several hawks together against 

 it ; which the crane endeavours to a* r oid, by 

 flying up perpendicularly, till the air becomes 

 too thin to support it any higher. The hawk, 

 however, still bears it company; and though 

 less fitted for floating in so thin a medium, 

 yet, possessed of greater rapidity, it still 

 gains the ascendancy. They both often rise 

 out of sight ; but soon the spectator, who 

 keeps his eye fixed above, perceives them, 

 like two specks, beginning to appear : they 

 gather on his eye for a little space, and shortly 

 after come tumbling perpendicularly together, 

 with great animosity on the side of the hawk, 

 and a loud screaming on that of the crane. 

 Thus driven to extremity, and unable to fly, 

 the poor animal throws itself upon its back, 

 and, in that situation, makes a most desperate 

 defence, till the sportsman coming up, gene- 

 rally puts an end to the contest with its life. 



It was once the barbarous custom to breed 

 up cranes to be thus baited ; and young ones 

 were taken from the nest, to be trained up 

 for this cruel diversion. It is an animal easily 

 tamed ; and, if we can believe Alburtus Mag- 



NO. 47&4S. 



nus, has a particular affection for man. This 

 quality, however, was not sufficient to guard 

 it from being made the victim of his fierce 

 amusements. The female, which is easily 

 distinguished from the male, by not being 

 bald behind as he is, never lays above two 

 eggs at a time ; being like those of a goose, 

 but of a bluish colour. The young ones are 

 soon fit to fly, and then the parents forsake 

 them to shift for themselv es ; but, before this 

 time, they are led forth to the places where 

 their food is most easily found. Though yet 

 unfledged, they run with such swiftness that 

 a man cannot easily overtake them. We arc 

 told, that as they grow old, their plumage 

 becomes darker ; and, as a proof of their 

 longevity, Aldrovandus assures us, that a 

 friend of his kept one tame for above forty 

 years. 



Whatever may have been the disposition 

 of the great, the vulgar of erery country, to 

 this day, bear the crane a compassionate re- 

 gard. It is possible the ancient prejudices 

 in its favour, which once having been planted 

 are eradicated but slowly, may still continue 

 to operate. In some countries, it is consider- 

 ed as an heinous offence to kill a crane; and 

 though the legislator declines to punish, yet 

 the people do not fail to resent the injury. 

 The crane, they, in some measure, consider 

 as the prophet of the season : upon its ap- 

 proach or delay they regulate the periods of 

 their rural economy. If their favourite bird 

 comes early in the season, they expect a 

 plentiful summer ; if he is slow in his visits, 

 they then prepare for an unfavourable spring. 

 Whatever wisdom there may be in despising 

 the prejudices of the vulgar, there is but little 

 in condemning them. They have generally 

 had their origin in good motives ; and it 

 should never be our endeavours to suppress 

 any tender emotions of friendship or pity, in 

 those hard breasts that are, in general, un- 

 susceptible of either. 



4L 



