~ 
-s THE NATURAL HISTORY 
- Formerly it was thought, that a race of little 
men, who were called Pygmies, were at conftant 
war with the Cranes, that they attempted to take 
their eggs, and fteal their young; and it is not 
improbable, that thefe attempts are frequently 
made by apes and monkies, for they are very fond , 
of birds and eggs; and apes and monkies are fo 
much like little men, that the miftake is not much 
ie to be wondered at. 
~ Cranes fly very high, eee in order. They 
form a triangle. When the wind is ftrong a- 
gainft them, or an Eagle is about to attack them, 
they make a kind of circle. They fly moftly in — 
the night; the leader frequently calls out to 
‘them, and all the others anfwer, fo that they are 
inno danger of feparating. | 
Cranes, like all large birds, cannot eafily be- 
gin to fly: they fir run, then flap their wings, 
then juft rife, afterwards they fpread their wings, 
and fupport a long and fteady flight. ‘They often 
rife fo high among the clouds that they cannot 
be feen, yet they make fo loud a noife, that they 
can be heard though out of fight; and their eyes 
are fo good, that they can fee every object below. 
When Cranes are in. numbers upon the 
ground, they fleep with their heads under their 
wings, except their chief, and he watches with 
| his 
