and Carambis, and then presently they ballast themselves with stones in their feet, and sand in their throats, that they fly more steady and endure the wind. When they be half way over, down they fling these stones: but when they are come to the continent the sand also they disgorge out of their craw." As this stands, it is fairly good natural history, save the stone and sand part of it, which is pure tradition, and incredible. It is instances like these, in the case of what almost might be called contemporaneous writers, that make the older historians of the Bible appear so sane and vital in what they have to say of the birds. Aristotle said cranes fought so fiercely that men might take them alive while engaged in a battle, and also that "many prudent actions appear to be performed by cranes." But what those actions were, he did not state. In their chosen locations they nested on the ground, or in colonies in trees. Their nests were large heaps of twigs and debris, and they laid two big eggs differing with species. The white cranes laid rough, pale-blue eggs having brown splotches on the larger end; and the brown birds a light drab with brown speckles. They were careful parents, though not so tender and loving as storks. They ate mice, rats, moles, and any small animal they could capture, as well as frogs and lizards. |