36 FRE DEMOISELLE CRANE, 
river banks to drink, both morning and evening. At this time 
of the year they are almost impossible to approach. 
“When the crops have been reaped they grow less wild, and 
may generally be found feeding in the stubbles in the early 
morning from sunrise to 8 AM. when they again take wing, 
mostly soaring in large circles at a great height till evening. Their 
favourite food, par excellence,in this district, is the ‘ arda’ or 
safflower oil seed (Carthamus tinctorius) which is sown in alter- 
nate rows with linseed. They roost sometimes on bare, open 
plains in a long single line, with sentinels posted on all sides, 
and sometimes on the banks of large tanks, congregating in 
vasts flocks by night, and separating into smaller parties of 
from twenty to hundred birds as they go afield at early dawn. 
“They .are at all times very wary birds, and will seldom 
allow a sportsman to get within eighty yards of them on open 
ground. They can, however, sometimes be stalked when feed- 
ing close to high standing crops. Cornstacks also afford occa- 
sional ambushes. Walking by the side of a country cart or a 
led horse is alsoa good plan; and like black buck they are 
sometimes partially deceived by this innocent device. But 
as I have found, by long experience, ¢ie best way to make 
sure of a shot is to walk boldly upto the flock without con- 
cealment, and immediately the first bird flaps his wings pre- 
paratory to taking flight, to xvz as fast as ever you can, straight 
at them. Cranes are very slow, indeed, in getting under weigh, 
and if you have any breath left in you, after a short 
spurt of sixty or seventy yards, you are almost certain of a shot at 
the fag end of the flock within killing distance. I have practised 
this myself systematically for years, and with almost invariable 
success. A moderate turn of speed, and to know the exact mo- 
ment to stop, which is when you can get no nearer, is all that 
is required. This plan, however, will not perhaps commend 
itself to staid and elderly sportsmen of a corpulent habit, and 
for such the country eart has its advantages. 
“These Cranes are by far the most suspicious and un-get- 
overable birds in existence. The Phansi Pardis, who can cir- 
cumvent most birds with their gut nooses and cunning ways, 
fail entirely when they think to catch a Demoiselle. I have 
had a party of these ne’er-do-weels near my camp, for days 
vainly trying to entrap a few of the thousands of Cranes which 
daily congregated on the shores of a large irrigation reservoir ; 
but not one bird was ever simple-minded enough to entrust its 
leg within the fatal noose, however deftly concealed.” 
“The Cranes leave the district by the first week in March.” 
Mr. J. Davidson again says :— 
“This bird is very common inthe Sholapur and Sattara 
Districts. It feeds morning and evening principally on 
“kurda,” a kind of oil seed sown in almost all the jowari 
fields and which bears a bright yellow flower. In the middle of 
