THE



83



Bvtcultural fllbagasme,


BEING THE JOURNAL OF THE


AVICULTURAL SOCI ETY.



Neiu iViw.t-VOL, VII. — NO. 3 .—All rights reserved. JANUARY, 1909.



A STANLEY CRANE.


By Mrs. Gregory.


I have lately bought a very beautiful and extremely tame

Stanley Crane. As soon as he arrived and was let out of the

travelling crate he began to dance with joy and spring up in the

air with his bill wide open. He seemed delighted with his new

home, and soon went straight to the pond and bathed. Then he

made friends with the other birds and wisely gives way to the

Crowned Crane, who always has and always will “ rule the roost ”

—thus peace is maintained.


From the first the Stanley attached himself to me, and

very soon I could do anything I liked with him except induce

him to come into the house. Full of suspicion, he would stand

on the door mat peering in, but no further would he venture.

So I waited until he had sufficient confidence to follow me in of

his own accord, and now he will walk from room to room after

me, like a dog. He is full of curiosity, as most Cranes are, and

touches the furniture, curtains, etc. with his bill. Silver orna¬

ments interest him, and he can never resist pulling my thimble

off my finger, or carrying off scissors if I am sewing. I think the

Stanley is the gentlest of all the Cranes. At the same time he

likes to try to frighten strangers by rushing at them with wings

outspread and sometimes pecking their shoes.


He is a tall bird, about 4ft. 6in. in height, the plumage of a

soft bluish grey shade, the top of the head is white, and the eyes

are large, dark, and expressive. The lanceolate feathers on the

breast are the same colour as the body, unlike those of the

Demoiselle which are almost black. I am told that these Cranes



