The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1899-08-28
DANCE OF sANDHILL CRANES.
PecnIIar wOOIng ofthe Long.Legged

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Birds Seen ON Illinois Plains.
when I was a boy in illinois," said
a native OF that state. now New York
lawyer, 'the greatest fun we had, along
in the spring of the year. was to creep
up through the prairie grass to the ISL
ands, as the scattered tracts of timber
were called, and get as near as we
could to where a colony Of sandhlH
cranes had their homes and watch the
long-legged birds at what we called
their cotIllon parties. Sandhlll cranes
were plentiful on the pralries in those
days, and used to play havoc among the
wheat and corn fields. There would al
ways be dozen or more of the cranes
in the dance and one solitary one stand
ing OF by himself. For long time we
took 1t for granted that this one was
sentinel posted to watch for the APP
proach Of danger and to warn the
dancers so that they might take them
selves OF, for the sandhill cranes were
extremely shy and disappeared at the
slightest suspicion Of danger. The great
est 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 supposed was a sentinel always
Joined. and then few 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
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 woolng the favor
of the fair. a statement which later
knowledge Of the habits of sandhlIT
cranes. as well as other feathered wild
creatures. corroborated.
Ordinarily there isn't more solemn
or dignifed bird living than the sand
hill crane, or one that more loves re-
pose. but at woolng time he loses his
dignity and makes himself about as
ridiculous by his fantastic actions as
any living creature could. He abandons
repose and becomes a regular dervish.
Apparently the grotesque actions Of the
male sandhill crane at this season are
to show his grace and endurance before
the female he woos, in competition with
other wooers, and Il is evident 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 sandhlu crane Is
not the only bird that wOos grotesQue-
ly and even puSnaclously. The wild tur-
key. the bustard, the humming bird, the
pinnRted grouse. the woodpecker, the
bluejay, the little snipe. known as the
run. the cock Of the rock. the night
hawk. the quail aud many others con-
duct their counting after similar pecu-
liar methods.
when a party OF rival sandhill
cranes meet 10 exhibit their attractions
to the female they desire for a mate.
they first rune up their feathers, spread
out their wings and comfort their long
and flexible necks into the most intri-
cate shapes and positions. Then with
light and dandlfied tread and affected
gait they pass in review before the fe-
male. who stands apart a solemn and
entirely undemonstrattve looker-On.
Now a crane Will plroutte on one long
leg, putting his neck and body through
all sorts OF grotesque movements. then
change TO the other leg, posturing while
balanced on that. He will suddenly
abandon these antics and make short,
cratic flights in the air. sometimes ac-
tuRlly turning somersaults while poised
above the ground. Then he viii brace
himself like a pugilist in a fight. dodg
ing his head quickly from side TO side
and backward, as II avoiding blows,
and then striking out viciously here and
there, conveying the impression that he
Is hitting at imaginary foes. Some
sIv,,- ~, ,u4Fl NkROtry htF,aatf IN, hla hack
and kick and wiRRle his stllt-like legs
IN the air. and almost tie himself In
knot by running his long neck between
them. Slngly the members OF q group
Of wooing cranes will parade themselves
in this way. and then advance IN pairs,
threes, single fle md in all sorts or
combinations. and will give the appear
ance to the spectator OF actually going
through the figures OF some intricate
dance. As the exercises are prolonged
the cranes become excited to the pitch
OF frenzy, and jump and leap and con-
tort themselves until one by one they
become exhausted and lie painting on
the ground until sufficiently refreshed
TO Join again In the fantastic proceed
inEs.
''sometimes these exercises will con-
tlnue for hours varied by frequent
fights between rivals, which are 80 dcs-
perate and savage that II IL no uncom-
mon thing for one or the other Of the
contestants TO be killed IN the combat,
Sometimes the female. after putting the
wooinE birds TO a long and severe test
OF their powers. will deliberately Tis,
and ny away. but usually will make
a choice from among the contestants.
That choice Is always followed BY q
night. one or more Of the disappointed
wooers being sure 10 pitch into the Ia
vorite. But then the latter will have
the aid OF the female. who will fight FOR
him as desperately as any OF the males.
II the pair Ind themselves too hardly
pressed by the others they win beat a
retreat and ny away together, some-