. The American natural history : a foundation of useful knowledge of the higher animals of North America . Natural history. 256 ORDERS OF BIRDS—CRANES, RAILS, AND COOTS two inches apart at the tips, it would drive its beak into the earth to a depth of from two to three inches, grasp a tuft of grass between them, and by main strength deliberately pull it up by the roots. A few vigorous shakes sidewise dislodged any angle-worms which might have been brought up, after which the roots of the tuft would be carefully looked over before being cast aside. Next in order, the wounded earth would be care
. The American natural history : a foundation of useful knowledge of the higher animals of North America . Natural history. 256 ORDERS OF BIRDS—CRANES, RAILS, AND COOTS two inches apart at the tips, it would drive its beak into the earth to a depth of from two to three inches, grasp a tuft of grass between them, and by main strength deliberately pull it up by the roots. A few vigorous shakes sidewise dislodged any angle-worms which might have been brought up, after which the roots of the tuft would be carefully looked over before being cast aside. Next in order, the wounded earth would be carefully probed and picked. New York Zoological Park. WHOOPING CRANE. over. In a few hours, this bird sometimes pulled up the grass on a space fifteen feet square, and finally disfigured the ground so seriously that after every rain the Crane had to be shut up. A living full-grown Whooping Crane stands 4 feet, 3 inches high. Its name is due to its wonderfully clear, powerful, and trumpet- like call, which is uttered with the beak pointing straight upward. When properly delivered, the crane's call consists of two notes, an octave apart, one following the other so closely that there is no interval, thus: "Quah-KEE-E- E-oo!" I believe that a Crane's trumpet-call will carry as far as the roar of a lion. All our Cranes are strictly open-country birds, and formerly inhabited the fertile, froggy prairies and cornfields of the Mississippi valky; but the species named above never was really numerous anywhere. In travelling, cranes always fly in single file, with their long necks and legs in a straight line, and in that position the length of the bird seems very great. The Sandhill Crane' is a smaller bird than the preceding, always has been more numerous, and therefore is much more widely known. In color it is a dull bluish-slate, and it has a half- bald, dull-red head, like a whooping crane. The pioneers who were on the western prairies from 1S50 to 1870 occasionally saw long
Size: 1300px × 1923px
Photo credit: © The Book Worm / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1900, booksubjectnaturalhistory, booky
