The daily chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Ind. Ter. [Okla.]) 1898-1902, 1899-09-26

M HIA AH@% "t1j 4" <ftt<+"''f r<'rf,*
4 native Of that state, now a New York
| lawyer, "thx greatest fun we had, along
| III the spring Of the year, was to creep
Up through the prairie grass to the
islands, as the scattered tracts Of tim-
Der were called, and get as near as we
could to where colony Of sandhill
cranes had their home and watch the
long-legged birds at what We called
their cotillon parties. Sandhill cranes
were plentiful on the prairies in those
days, and used ~ play hayoc among the
wheat and corn fields There would
always be q dozen or more Of the cranes
in the dance. and one solitary one stand-
ing on by itself. For q long time we
took It for granted that this one w&s
sentinel posted Ia watch for the APP
proach Of danger and 70 warn the dan
GERS, SO they might take themselves OF,
for the sandhill cranes were extremely
shy, and disappeared at the slightest
suspicion OF danger. The greatest part
OF the fun was the fights that would
occur between the dancers, in which
more than one crane would be knocked
out. The dance usually ended in free
fight, in which the crane that we sup
posed was sentinel always Joined, and
then iiew away with some of the others
that were left. An old pioneer told us
by and. by that the crane we supposed
was a sentinel was q female crane, and
that the dance OF the others was not
intended TO be a terpsichorean revel,
but was simply the male cranes way Of
wooing the favor Of the fair, q state
ment which later knowledge OF the hab-
its OF sandhilI cranes, a. wen asofher
.feathered wild creatures. corrobo-
rated.
Ordinarily there isn't more sol
emn or dignifed bird living than the
Eapdhil crsne, or one thatsmorelove
rcpose. but at wooing time he loses his
dignity and makes himself about as RI
diculous by his fantastic actions as any
living creature could. He abandons re-
pose and becomes regular dervish.
Apparently the grotesque actions of the
male sandhill crane at this season are
to show his grace and endurance be-
fore the female he wooes, in competi-
tion with other wooers. and it IS evil
dent that she selects from the compet-
itors the one that strikes her as best
filling her idea of what a proper mates
accomplishments should be. The sand
hill crane is not the only bird that
wooes grotesquely and even pugna-
ciously. The wild turkey, the bustard,
the humming bird, the pinnated grouse,
the woodpeclSer, the bluejay, the little
snipe, known as the ruff, the cock of
the rock, the night hawk, the quail and
many others conduct their counting aft
sr similar peculiar methods.
when party of rival sandhill cranes
meet to exhibit their attractions to the
female they desire for mate they first
rufile up their feathers. spread out their
wings ana comfort their long and fiex-
Ible necks into the most intricate
shapes and positions. Then with Light
and dandified tread and affected gait
hey pass in review before the female.
who stands apart, solemn and entire
Y undemonstrative looker-on. Now
.rane will pirouette on one long leg,
putting his neck and body through all |
lorts OF grotesque movements, then
,hange to the ther leg, posturing while
,alahced on that. He will suddenly
bandon these antics and make short
rratic flights In the air, sometimes &C
ually turning somersaults while poized
lbove the ground. Then he will bsace
himself like pugilist in q fight. dodgS |
ng his head quickly from side to aide
nd backward. as If avoiding blows, and
hen striking out viciously here and
here. conveying the impression that he
hitting at imaginary foes. Sometimes
Ie will throw himself on his back and
,iek and wiggle his stiltlike legs in
he air, and almost tie himself in knot
y running his long neck between them.
ingiy the members of a group OF WOO
az cranes will parade themselves In
his way. and then advance in pairs and
ouble pairs, threes, single file and In AL
orts of combinations, and win give the
ppearance to the spectator Of actually 1,
Ding through the figures of soma in-
ricate dance As the exercises are pro-
,ngcd the cranes become excited 20 The
itch Of frenzy and jump and leap and
ontoft themselves until one by one
hey become exhausted and lie pant1he
a the ground until sufficiently -
reshed to Join again in the fantastie I
roceedings. n
Sometimes these exercises win con- /