474 CLASS AVES. 



bird comes sometimes into the inland, to feed on herbs and 

 gather grains. It also frequents inundated places to catch 

 small fish, and feeds moreover on earth-worms and insects. 

 Its ordinary walk is slow ; but when it avails itself of the 

 assistance of the wind, and extends its wings, it can run with 

 great swiftness. Its flight is also greatly elevated, powerful, 

 and sustained. It perches in some exposed place in the open 

 air, for the purpose of sleeping, like the peacock, which it 

 resembles in its cry, as well as in its crest. From these cir- 

 cumstances it has been named marine peacock, short-tailed 

 peacock, &c. ; and the Latin epithet pavonina has been 

 applied to it. It has been also very gratuitously termed 

 Grus Balearica, for nothing proves that there is any analogy 

 between it and the Balearic crane of Pliny, or that it ever 

 inhabited the islands from which this name is taken. 



The crowned heron is a mild and peaceable bird in its dis- 

 position ; it approaches man with confidence, and even plea- 

 sure ; and we are assured, that at Cape Verd it is half 

 domesticated, and will come to eat grain with the poultry in 

 farm-yards. Buffon, who brought up in his garden an indi- 

 vidual which was sent to him from Guinea, says that it used 

 to peck the hearts of lettuces and other plants, but the food 

 which it preferred was boiled rice. Besides the sonorous cry 

 resembling the sound of a trumpet or horn, it also makes a 

 sort of internal noise, something like, though louder, than the 

 clocking of a hen. 



This bird was fond of exciting attention, and would follow 

 the persons who approached him. In a state of repose it rested 

 on one leg, holding its neck folded round, and the body 

 rather sunk down ; but on the slightest occasion of disturb- 

 ance or surprise, it raised its head, assumed a vertical posi- 

 tion, and advanced gravely and with measured steps. Its 

 legs answered the purpose of ascending any elevation very 

 well ; but when obliged to descend, it would unfold its wings 



