376 
THE SAVAGE WORLD, 
The Bearded Crane (Ardia cinerea) or Heron is rarely met with in this 
country, though its congeners are quite numerous, and the habits of all are 
nearly identical. This particular species is found in Europe occasionally, but 
is most numerous in the swamp regions of Africa, though formerly it abounded 
in England and nearly all the European countries. It is about three feet in 
height, of a slaty-grayish color, the throat and neck white. It has a long 
graceful plume of dark blue feathers on the crown, and a beard of white feathers 
growing from the 
junction of the 
neck and breast, 
from whence the 
name bearded crane 
is derived. Like 
all others of the 
species it is a 
wader, having very 
long legs and neck, 
and extremely light 
body. It feeds on 
fish largely, but 
will also greedily 
devour young birds, 
rats, mice and other 
small creatures. 
Though not in any 
sense a swimmer, 
yet under certain 
circumstances it 
has been known to 
take to deep water 
to procure its prey, 
as the following 
incident reported by 
Dr. Neill will 
show: “A large 
willow tree had 
fallen down into 
the pond, and at 
the extremity, 
which is partly 
sunk in the 
sludge and con¬ 
tinues to vegetate, water hens breed. The old cock heron swims out to the 
nest and takes the young if he can. He has to swim ten or twelve feet, where 
the water is between two and three feet deep. His motion through the water 
is slow, but his carriage stately. I have seen him fell a rat at one blow on 
the back of the head, when the rat was munching at his dish of fish.” But 
usually the heron procures his food by standing in shallow places and watching, 
with wonderful patience, for the appearance of minnows or larger fish. He is 
