W. H. Workman—Demoiselle Cranes



109



Through the day they consume large quantities of grass, in fact

they graze after the manner of geese, besides which they are bn the

constant hunt for insects great and small. In the morning and evening

they are constantly on the prowl from plant to plant snapping up

innumerable small deer. Then they quarter the ground for small

creepy-crawlies which must be nearly microscopic for I’ve never been

able to see what they are after, every now and then there is a snap

and another little life is ended. There seems to be only one thing

they like by way of a dainty and that is small bits of household bread,

especially the brown crust. They come to the window for this if hungry

and I have only got to call “ Jack and Jill ” to bring them up at a run.


If the weather is very hot they go into a small pond for a bathe

much to the detriment of the waterlilies, etc., as they leave a white

film on the water which is just like flour, but after a day it clears

away and the water is all right again, one can’t have everything.


With regard to pinioning these birds it is much better to get

a veterinary surgeon to do the work. If properly done there is extremely

little loss of blood and, as far as one can judge, very little pain to the

subject. Just at the tip of the wing you will find a little joint with

a number of flight feathers attached, but on the outside of this joint

you will find a spur with a few feathers only attached. This spur must

be left on as these few feathers give a nice shape to the wing after

pinioning. The best illustration I can think of is the right hand. The

thumb represents the spur and the fingers the flight feathers. You

cut away the fingers at the joint leaving the thumb intact. The vet

should freeze the joint and afterwards apply on a piece of cotton wool

addrinoline and iodine, the former to stop bleeding and the latter

as an antiseptic. If properly done all will be well and you can take

off the bag from the bird’s head and let it loose. The bag is of great

use as it covers a very sharp beak which, if left uncovered, would

require most careful watching ; with big birds one must take a little

care. A friend of mine when working with a Bittern forgot to watch

that Bittern’s business end and before he knew what had happened

gone was a perfectly good eye. But this was a Bittern and they have

nasty little ways like the Heron tribe.



