244 Storks ^ Cranes 



A dark-coloured pouch at the throat becomes 

 enlarged in the spring time. 



The male bird is always taller than the female, 

 and generally walks with his head more erect. 

 The characteristics of the two sexes are evident 

 in the case of my Australian cranes. 



They are very tame — indeed visitors sometimes 

 wish they were wilder ; and whilst the hen bird 

 walks along with shorter steps, her skirts hanging 

 downwards, in the shape of elongated feathers of 

 the wings, her head coquettishly on one side, he 

 strides round, taking a wider circle in his walk, 

 with long jerky steps, erect and tall, his bright 

 brown-red eye looking unutterable defiance. 



If you remain long enough to gaze at them, 

 the lady will gradually sidle closer and closer, as 

 at the same time her mate draws nearer to you 

 on the other side ; when, at an apparently given 

 signal, they will suddenly attack you with really 

 hard pecks from their bills, flapping their big wings 

 to disconcert you. 



One of my legs received a hard pinch on one 

 occasion. 



But there was something that roused their ire 

 more than anything else. 



That was their first sight of a lady on a bicycle ! 



What would they think of the ladies of Paris ? 



Their bare well I that portion of their limbs that 



ought to be covered with stocking and petticoats, and 

 which very often is not, would afford a fine target for 

 the cranes' onslaughts ! 



