NATURAL HISTORY, 
96 
upon going forward, but that if a field of corn offers in their 
way, they will stop a while to regale upon it : on such occa- 
sions they do incredible damage, chiefly in the night ; and 
the husbandman, who lies down in joyful expectation, rises 
in the morning to see his fields laid entirely waste, by an 
enemy, whose march is too swift for his vengeance to 
overtake. 
The cold arctic region seems to be this bird’s favourite 
abode. They come down into the more southern parts ol 
Europe rather as visitants than inhabitants. 
In their journeys it is amazing to conceive the heights to 
which they ascend, when they fly. Their note is the loudest 
of all birds ; and is often heard in the clouds, when the bird 
itself is entirely unseen. As it is light for its size, and spreads 
a large expanse of wing, it is capable of floating, at the 
greatest heights, where the air is lightest; and as it secures 
its safety, and is entirely out of the reach of man, it flies in 
tracks which would be too fatiguing for any other birds to 
move forward in. 
In these aerial journeys, (hough unseen themselves, they 
have the distinctest vision of every object below. They go- 
vern and direct their flight by their cries; and exhort each 
Other to proceed or descend, when a fit opportunity offers for 
depredation. As they rise but heavily, they are very shy 
birds, and seldom let the fowler approach them. Corn is 
their favourite food ; but there is scarcely any other that 
comes amiss to them. Itedi, who opened several, found the 
Stomach of one full of the herb called dandelion ; that of 
another was filled with beans; a third bad a great quantity of 
clover in its stomach ; while those of two others were filled 
with earth-worms and beetles : in some he found lizards and 
sea-fish; in others, snails, grass, and pebbles, swallowed per- 
haps for medicinal purposes. 
In general it is a peaceful bird, both in its own society, 
and with respect to those of the forest. It is an animal easily 
tamed ; and if we can believe Albertus Magnus, has a parti- 
cular affection for man. 
The Egret is of the crane kind, but only one species i s 
known in Europe, which is called the little egret. It is the 
size of a fowl. The hind head is crested, and two of (he fea' 
tliers, which are five inches in length, hang gracefully behind* 
The whole plumage is of a beautiful white, and the elegance 
of the bird is much increased by the long, loose feathers 
which cover and hang over the rump: their flesh is said to be 
excellent. It is conjectured that both the crane and egre* 
were formerly inhabitants of Great Britain ; but this cad 
