244 WILD SPORTS IN THE SOUTH. 



" Billy," said I to the driver, who was with me watching one of 

 their hops, "why do they do that?" (I always make a point of 

 gleaning knowledge from the natives, they are so familiar with 

 birds.) " 'Cause they are cranes," quoth Billy. 



The sand-hill crane is a land bird. He feeds essentially on 

 grain and grass roots. Sometimes he takes snakes for variety, 

 or snails found along the marshes, or a frog, to feed his young. 

 But he likes best the upland, the breezy hill, and the wide-reach- 

 ing corn-field, and at night he seeks some shallow lake, where, at a 

 distance from the shore and prowling enemies, on one foot, alterna- 

 ting with the other, he will sleep away the darkness. 



His nest is built in the deepest sloughs, where acres of reeds 

 and floating grass make a barrier against his enemies. The nest 

 is large and rude, and built of broken reeds and rushes, supported 

 by a log or musk-rat house. The eggs are generally two and very 

 rarely three. They are yellowish white, rough and punctuated and 

 patched heavily with dark irregular brown, and are hatched in Juna 



The young, at first yellow, leave the nest as soon as hatched. 

 Presently they become a dun colour, which they retain until 

 autumn, feeding for a little time in the slough on snails and frogs, 

 but soon getting out on the unprotected prairie. Cranes fight the 

 moment they are hatched, the hunters say, and as their bills are 

 sharp, and strength is great, one is slain, and the surviving Cain is 

 usually found alone with his two parents. But this is theory, the 

 singleness of the offspring being more likely due to marsh enemies 

 of other species. When captured young they are easily domesti- 

 cated, and come to the call. They will make friends with the 

 house dog. They select some spot on the ground to roost, and 

 always occupy the identical spot, with the head facing always the 

 same way. When any one moves in the yard at night, they make 

 a low grating noise like a challenge, and clatter with their mandi- 

 bles, then relapse into silence. When troubled, they get angry 

 and strike viciously with their pointed bills. When spring comes 

 and their kindred are flying overhead with their old familiar cry, 

 they will, if unwatched, forget the master's crib, and fly away, 

 never to be seen more. 



Like many birds they acquire, in their wild state, a certain 



