427 
GUARDIAN BIRDS. 
The crane does, indeed, ])erforin one of tlie 
purest and most beautiful acts of benevo¬ 
lence recorded in natural liistory. To Dr. 
Van Lennep is due the honor of the dis¬ 
covery of tliis trait in the crane. 
There are a great many small birds, such 
as the ortolans, darnagas, tree-ligs, wrens, 
titmice, smaller thrushes, finches, and oth¬ 
ers, which are oblig’ed to leave Europe for 
thei)- cheery twittering and meri-y songs. 
On the return voyage the cranes do not 
trouble tb(‘mselves to fly low, but, as if 
knowing that going down is easy work 
even for a small bird, they fly high, and 
let their little i)assengers dro]) off at their 
own convenience. 
It may be that future investigation will 
prove that the conduct of the crane is the 
THK CARRIKR. 
a warmer climate as soon as cold weathei 
sets in. They are incapable of a long-sus¬ 
tained’flight, and in the attempt to cross 
the Mediterranean would surely perish in 
its watoi-s. Even the trip tlii-ough Asia 
Minor, Syria, and Palestine would be loo 
much for their feeble powers, and to stay 
in those countries would mean death, for, 
except in a few spots, tlio winter is too 
rio-orous for tliein. How, then, do they 
contrive to lind their way to Africa? 
Most of the cranes arc 
and usiiallv are to be seen making then 
kav south at the lirst approach of autiiiiin 
"liieus Thev lly low, uttering an odd 
Tof ai;»n. ■ Tt once the woi„d-be 
Utile travellers below 
Phr hearted friends. There they coinfo t- 
al!y ", and repay their benefactors by 
result of some le.ss noble impulse than 
that of doing good for good’s sake; but in 
the absence of the necessary proof to that 
effect it Avill do no harm to accept it as it 
appears to be. It is true, however, that 
nature will sometimes cause her creatures 
to do that instinctively which, by result¬ 
ing in specific benefit, may seem to bave 
been done for the most apparent object 
thereby achieved. 
A case in ])oint is a very curious demon¬ 
stration of this fact. The sea-gull, as may 
be understood from its name, is a dweller 
by tbe sea. It often ventures far out on 
the water, some species, as the albatross, 
seeming to almost live in mid-ocean; but 
it is very seldom seen far inland. An ex¬ 
ception to this rule, however, seems to be 
made in favor of the Great fsalt Lake of 
Utah. 
The number of these birds frequenting 
