8 4



A Stanley Crane.



require a little meat sometimes, but I cannot get mine to eat any.

I feed him on grain, equal quantities of wheat, dari, and husk

rice, and less of maize. At first he ate worms but now does not

care for them and only searches for insects. At night he sleeps

in a comfortable shed, separated by a wire door from my Crowned

Crane. At seven in the morning they are both let out.


The head of the Stanley Crane is very peculiar. The

feathers on it are short and thick and very close, and the bird

puffs them out when pleased or excited, and this gives the look

of a swollen head.


I have had some extremely tame Cranes, but none more so

than this one. I have even opened a window in the dusk and

called to him by name and he has answered each time with a

“cluck.” Sometimes I hide in the garden and watch him

(unseen) searching for me, until he walks in triumph to the

shed or summer-house or wherever I may be. Then he is so

companionable! If I sit writing or reading he stands close by

my side preening or looking up at me until I say, “Now, Beu,

come for a walk,” when he paces up and down the gravel walks,

following so closely that I sometimes feel his bill touching me.



Since I began to write this account my Stanley Crane has

been seized by a sudden and very violent illness, caused we think

by his having eaten something poisonous, probably found on a

large load of manure on which he had been searching for insects.

For nearly three days he took absolutely no food, only drank

water. His eyes were closed most of the time and his bill rested

on his breast. I felt I must make some effort to save him or he

would die from weakness. In vain I tried food of many kinds,

he would not open his bill, even for spiders. So, very gently,

I did it for him, at the same time, pushing in a live insect.

He took a large number and swallowed them all. Next day

he seemed a little stronger and less drowsy. I fed him every

few hours in the same way and occasionally gave well boiled

maize. Gradually I got his strength back until he could pick up

food for himself. The insects I gave were wood-lice, which I

was able to get in large quantities from a friend who has a small

pine wood in his grounds. He had some trees cut down and the



