THE CRANE KIND. 301 



up, stuffed with mint and rue, to the tables of our 

 nobles at home ; at present they are considered all 

 over Europe as wretched eating. The flesh is fib- 

 rous and dry, requiring much preparation to make 

 it palatable ; and even after every art, it is fit only 

 for the stomachs of strong and labouring people. 

 The cold arctic region seems to be this bird's 

 favourite abode. They come down into the more 

 southern parts of Europe rather as visitants than 

 inhabitants; yet it is not well known in what 

 manner they portion out their time to the diffe- 

 rent parts of the world. The migrations of the 

 field-fare or thrush are obvious and well known ; 

 they go northward or southward, in one simple 

 track ; when their food fails them here, they have 

 but one region to go to. But it is otherwise with 

 the crane: he changes place, like a wanderer ; 

 he spends the autumn in Europe ; he then flies 

 off, probably to some more southern climate, to 

 enjoy a part of the winter ; returns to Europe in 

 the spring ; crosses up to the north in summer ; 

 visits those lakes that are never dry ; and then 

 comes down again, to make depredations upon 

 our cultivated grounds in autumn. Thus, Ges- 

 ner assures us, that the cranes usually begin to 

 quit Germany from about the eleventh of Sep- 

 tember to the seventeenth of October ; from 

 thence they were seen flying southward by thou- 

 sands ; and Redi tells us they arrive in Tuscany 

 a short time after. There they tear up the fields, 

 newly sown, for the grain just committed to the 

 ground, and do great mischief. It is to be sup- 

 posed, that in the severity of winter they go 



