CRANES 125 



its name. It is a handsome bird, the blackish-slate of its 

 body plumage being contrasted by white wing coverts and 

 chestnut secondaries. The sides of the head are bare and 

 colored white above and pink below; there are two small, 

 pinkish wattles on the throat. This crane is uncommon in 

 America, very few having been imported. It is long-lived 

 and attractive, and not so determined a root digger as most 

 others. This is another species which cannot pass our win- 

 ters out of doors, but must be removed to heated quarters 

 as the cold months approach. 



All of the cranes nest on the ground, usually in marshes 

 or on open plains, forming their nests of grass and rushes. 

 The eggs are generally whitish or buff in color, double- 

 spotted with yellow or brown blotches, and commonly two 

 in number. 



Young cranes are most precocious, being able to run about 

 quite freely soon after hatching. For a few days before 

 the youngsters commence to forage for themselves their 

 food consists mainly of insects brought to them by the old 

 birds. When three or four days old, they will eat soft 

 materials. Spratt's Game Food, soaked in hot water, is 

 excellent. The parent birds are very devoted to their off- 

 spring, caring for them with great solicitude and guarding 

 them valiantly against intruders. If an attempt to breed 

 cranes in captivity is to be made, a large,, grassy run should 

 be provided for the exclusive use of the family, as anxiety 

 for the welfare and safety of the chicks is apt to make the 

 parents over-zealous in the treatment of the others in the 

 same corral. An adult crane is a formidable antagonist, 

 not to be despised even by a man. 



An interesting characteristic of cranes is their habit of 

 indulging at frequent intervals in grotesque dances, which 

 may be performed by an individual, or by a group in grace- 

 ful unison. The leader starts off leaping and bowing, with 



