, 1897-11-23
BIRDS AND BEASTS.
A Bull ~Fight-Dance of the Cranes
Crows Try a Hawk.

The highest compliment Commits
sioner Waring has received was paid
to him in thePress on Sunday. He has
kept the streets SO clean that the Eng
fish sparrow. starved into submission.
has departed for other and more sue
culent localities.
What is the greatest sight | ever saw
A bull fight in Wyoming. Two mon
sters. each at the head of eighty or
eighty-tive cows. met on a plain near
Fort Laramie, and their respective es-
corts formed in semi-circles to wit
ness the conflict. If such a thing were
possible. the COWS were madden than
bulls. They paved the earth, lowed,
tossed their heads and waved their tails
on high. Each side egged on its cham
piOn. 1t seemed to be understood that
the bull that conquered became the
prince of the two herds. The battle
was to the death. Life and an enlarg-
ed harem depended upon the issue. In
company of Col. Frederick A. Larkin,
| sat a horse half a mile off and
watched this strange encounter
through field glasses. We dared not
go closer. In twenty minutes one OF
the bulls lay upon the ground in a
death agony, and the other, streaming
from many n gore, was proudly lead
ing both herds from the field. The dy-
ing monarch was left deserted and
alone. Not a COW ministered unto him.
His consorts dropped their flags in &C.
acknowledgement Of a new sovereign and
meekly Joined his band. The conflict
was magnificent and it was war,
What is the strangest sight I ever
saw? A sandhill crane dance on the
shores of the Indian river in Florida.
There were ten birds of the average
size and one overgrown fellow. The
latter acted as master of ceremonies.
In fact, he led the dance, even as 'Lish
Dyer leads it inNew York. Eight
formed into a square, making four cou-
pies, and all the figures of the quad
rifle were presented. They went for
ward and back, swung partners,
crossed over. CHASED" in superb style,
bowed to partners, right-and-lefted to
places, and indeed went through the
entire performance in a wierd and
ghostlike manner. Once in awhile the
two odd chaps would slip into the cen
ter and execute a flourish which the
master Of ceremonies quickly termina-
ted with a flap of the wings, driving
the intruders back to their places as
walllowers. Could anything tunnier
be imagined? The sandhill crane is
feet long. with a Widespread Of 20 or
~ inches. Its legs are like pipestems,
8 feet in length and loosely jointed
about the middle. 1t was a dance new
er to be forgotten. and was worth 60
ing all the way to Florida to see. The
birds wore uniforms Of leaden gray.
Everyone who lives in the country
knows how much a crow hates a hawk.
upon a time l came slyly upon a
conclave of caw-caws in the edge of
a wood. Their talking had attracted
me to the spot. There must have been
hundred of them. sitting in a
circle on the ground. You know that
crows have sense-more than a man
and hold councils Of war, having sem
throwing out skirmishers, elect
etc. The hawks eat their
young. hence the enmity. In the center
Of the circle was a hawk, and the crows
putting him through his PAGES.
He turned a somersault and they cav
cawed heartily. He flew around in a
small ring, and they caw-cawed again.
He a from one side of the circle to
he other, and again there was Internal
laughter. When he wanted to rest the
crow punched him Up. and he
went on doing stunts. How long this
might have lasted I know not, for my
gun laid low q half score of the Jury
and the prisoner. It has always been )