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Hubert D. Astley—Avicultural Notes



not granted yearly to those genuinely interested in aviculture. The

indirect good in tending to educate public opinion as to the intense

interest of bird life would far outweigh the damage done by the relatively

small number of birds taken.


In conclusion I should like to express a hope that the above notes

of commonplace things are not unduly prolix ; my only excuse for

writing at all is that owing to changed conditions books and records

written only a few years ago are to day hopelessly misleading.



AVICULTURAL NOTES


By Hubert D. Astley


My birds have been so frequently written about that it is difficult

for me to supply anything fresh. I had not realized how antagonistic

Stanley Cranes can become. My pair, the male being full-winged, was

completely docile for a year and a half, but this spring all that changed,

so that finally the male had to be caught and suffer the ignominy of

a clipped wing and imprisonment along with his mate in a wire enclosure.

They took to standing on a narrow bridge, or along a paved pathway,

defying humans who wished to pass along, and because it was I who

generally came to the rescue the male took an intense dislike to me,

attacking me savagely at every opportunity, especially when he saw

me in what he thought was retreat. His attack was no joke, for being

full winged, he jumped into the air a little above the level of one’s face,

with extended legs and talons, so that one day as he descended he ripped

not only one of my stockings, but the leg which it covered, for these

crane’s claws are excessively sharp and curved after the manner of a

bird of prey. One of the womenfolk, coming across the narrow paved

path between two ponds, encountered him. I was near by and called

out: “ If you walk straight on I don’t think he’ll do anything.” She

took my advice. In her arms was a large basket of clean linen, fresh

from the wash. Up flew the Stanley Crane, legs to the fore, catching

the basket with his claws. Tableau !


My only means of resisting his onslaughts was to arm myself with

a large landing-net, and even then he would charge again and again,

dodging the net, whilst I fenced with this rather cumbersome foil in



