204 WHOOPING CRANE. 



as on other occasions, has not informed his readers whence the informa^ 

 tion came. 



Henderson, November 1810. — The Sand Hill Crane arrived at the 

 Long Pond on the 28th of last month. I saw two flocks of young ones 

 there, and one of adults on the Slim Pond. Both old and young imme- 

 diately set to digging through the mud, the rains having scarcely begun to 

 cover those places with water, for during summer they become almost dry. 

 The birds work very assiduously with their bills, and succeed in uncover- 

 ing the large roots of the great water-lily, which often run to a depth of 

 two or three feet. Several cranes are seen in the same hole, tugging at 

 roots and other substances, until they reach the object of their desire, 

 which they greedily devour. While thus engaged, they are easily ap- 

 proached ; for if their heads are bent down they cannot see you, and un- 

 til they raise themselves again, to take notice of what may be going on 

 around the place, you may advance so as to get within shot. While I 

 watched them at this v/ork, they were perfectly silent ; and as I lay con- 

 cealed behind a large cypress tree, within thirty paces of a flock, thus 

 buried, as it were, in the great holes they had formed, so as to put me in 

 mind of a parcel of hogs or bears at their wallowing spots, I could plainly 

 see the colour of their eyes, which is brown in the young, and yellow in 

 the adult. After observing them as long as I wished, I whistled, on which 

 they all at once raised their heads to see what the matter might be. I 

 had so fair an opportunity that I could not resist the temptation, espe- 

 cially as several of the birds had their necks so close together that I felt 

 confident I must kill more than one of them. Accordingly, just as their 

 last croaking notes were heard, and I saw them preparing to set to work 

 again, I fired. Only two flew up, to my surprise. They came down the 

 pond towards me, and my next shot brought them to the ground. On 

 walking to the hole, I found that I had disabled seven in all. Those 

 which were in different holes farther off, all flew away, uttering loud cries, 

 and did not return that afternoon. In the course of a week these birds 

 turned up the earth, and dug holes all over the dry parts of the ponds. 

 As soon as heavy rains fill the pools, the Cranes abandon them, and resort 

 to other places. 



Natchez, November 1821. — The Sand-hill Cranes now resort to the 

 fields, in which corn, pease, and sweet potatoes have been planted, as well 

 as to the cotton plantations. They feed on the grains and pease, dig up 

 the potatoes, which they devour with remarkable greediness ; and in the 



