Woodville Republican. (Woodville, Miss.) 185?-current, 1889-08-17

seem to have the courage to protest or
petition. By and by quiet was once
more restored, and then q crow having
the appearance OF much wisdom and
experience stepped into the opening
and iawed away vociferously for half a
minute or more, gesticulating comically
with his head and body. His re-
marks seemed to meet with appro-
baton Of the big audience, if the
chorus Of caws that arose after
he ceased could be taken as an in
dication. Then another old crow
stepped into the ring He stood near
the accused two as he spoke. There
didn't appear to be as much earnestness
or confidence in his manner as there
had been in the speaker that preceded
him. He had evidently volunteered to
defend the prisoners, simply as a mat
ter of form. When he got through the
cries and shrieks and muttering that
greeted him were plainly those Of de-
rision and disapprovaL Then one OF
the group Of dozen crows in the open
ing had something to say, and 1t was
plainly addressed to the three prisoners
at the bar--for that this was regular
systematic court trial there could be no
doubt When he ceased talking one of
the prisoners uttered few half-hearted
sounds as If defending himself, or max
ing some explanation in mitigation Of
his crime A veritable yell of derision
from the audience followed his effort,
and neither of the other two culprits
ventured a word in his own behalf
Then there was a noisy but brief con-
sultatlon between the members OF the
group in the circle-the jury, If you
willard then one Of them solemnly
croaked the result OF the conference to
the prisoners and the audience Avid
chorus OF approval and satisfaction
arose. Half a dozen big crows rushed
from the crowd and pounced fiercely
upon the condemned and unresisting
convicts, and in surprisingly short
time had stretched them dead on the
ground
THE execution was encouraged by
deafening cries from the great body of
crows, which had risen from the ground
and was circling and darting frantical-
ly about above the executioner and their
adjudged victims. Unlike the sand
hill crane execution, the bodies of these
dead culprits we're not left lying as they
were killed, but after the legal execu-
TONERS had done their work and retired,
the vengeful lay members OF the court
swooped down upon their bodies, strik-
ing at them with beaks and claws until
there was not vestige left of the Grim
inals whom outraged crow justice had
so speedily and terribly punished The
vengeance of the community satisfied,
the crows returned to the woods, dis
cussing the exciting affair as they went,
and were soon once more engaged in
their regular vocations.
speaking Of the old sandhill cranes
odd cotillion party. Colonel Knight did
not have the proper understanding OF
its significance. He imagined it to be
simply a merry dancing party, and the
solitary crane standing apart from the
rest the leader of the party, who was
acting as a sentry to give the revelers
warning of danger. The fact of the
matter is, the solitary crane was a fe-
male and the dancers were males, and
the antics they were cutting up before
her we're simply the sandhill cranes
way of wooing the favor OF his fair. II
Colonel Knight had waited until the
end OF that dance he would have been
rewarded with the sight of some des-
perate and exciting pitched battles be-
tween rival cranes that would have de-
lighted his sporting blood. Ordinarily,
there isn't more solemn or dignified
bird living than the sandhill crane. or
one that more loves repose, but at WOO
ing time he loses his dignity, and
makes himself about as ridiculous by
his fantastic actions as any living crea-
ture could we'll do. He abandons re-
pose. and becomes a regular dervish in
the exercise of his physical powers.
Apparently, the grotesque actions oi
the male sandhill crane at this season
are to show his grace and endurance
before the female he wooes, in compe-
tition with other wooers, and that she
selects from the competitors the one
that strikes her as best filling her idea
OF what a proper mates accomplish.
ments should be. The sandhill crane
is not the only bird that wooes gro.
tesquely and even pugnaciously The
wild turkey, the buzzard, the humming
bird, the pinnated grouse, the wood
pecker, the blue jay, the little snipe
known as the ruff, the cock of the rock,
the night hawk, the quail, and many
others do their counting after similarly
peculiar methods.
"When a party of rival sandhill
cranes meet to exhibibit their attrac.
tions to the female they desire for q
mate, they first ruffle up their feathers,
spread out their wings, and comfort
their long and flexible necks into the
most intricate and difficult of shapes
and positions. Then with light and
dandiied tread and affected gait they
pass in review before the female, who
stands apart, solemn and entirely un.
demonstrative looker-on. Now crane
will pirouette on one leg, putting his
neck and body through all sorts of gro.
tesque movements; then change to the
other leg and posturing while bal
anced on that. He will suddenly aban,