8/9/2019 More Indian Birds by C.T.buckland

1/1

More Indian Birds byC. T. BUCKLAND (commissioner of Dacca)Published onLongman's magazine, Volume 19 edited by Charles James Longman

Page 177- Page 178

In a former paper I wrote about the Coolen cranes. There is another largecrane known as the Sayrus that is not unfrequently seen in many parts of India.When I was living at Dacca as commissioner I kept a large tame Sayrus, towhom the native servants had given the name of Kulloo, but I believe that theycall every tame Sayrus by that name, just as they speak to every performing bearas ' Madari.' My Kulloo was a fine specimen fully five feet in height. The plumageis of a delicate French grey colour, with short bright crimson feathers on thethroat and top of the head, so that it is a beautiful bird to look at. The long beak israther a dangerous weapon, and as the Sayrus usually aims at the eye of anassailant, many a small dog has paid by the loss of his sight for his impudence ingoing and barking at them. Kulloo used to come into the garden outside the

breakfast-room window, and waitto be fed with bits of bread and other scrapsthrown out to him, which he caught unerringly. One day a wicked man who wasstaying with me took an insidious shot at Kulloo with a blow-pipe, and the sharpdart stuck in the joint of his wing. Kulloo was mad with pain and excitement, andwent dancing round the garden in the most fantastic fashion, until at last thenative servant who had special charge of him threw himself on the bird's neckand extricated the dart. The Sayrus has a habit of dancing about and jumping upin the air for his own amusement, and the natives say that when it dances itprognosticates rain. In my opinion Kulloo did not set up as a rain-prophet, butdanced whenever it pleased him to do so. He had a bad habit of walking out intothe native town, and helping himself at the grain shops in the native streets ; but

the people, though afraid of him, never did him any harm, as they have asuperstition that it is wrong and unlucky to injure a Sayrus. Mr. Simson tells astory how a native gentleman begged him not to shoot a Sayrus, and warned himthat the wife of a sahib who had shot one had shortly afterwards died of cholera.One day, as we were riding home in the evening, we met Kulloo being broughthome from the native town in the custody of the police. I forget what mischief hehad been at. but it took four policemen to bring him along, and they walkedbehind him with a rope stretched across the street, whilst Kulloo stalked along infront, looking back contemptuously at his custodians from time to time. When Ileft Dacca in 18G8 I gave Kulloo to the Nawab Ahsanoolla Khan Bahadoorofthat city, and only a few months ago the Nawab, in writing to me, mentioned that

Kulloo was alive and well. I think he must have been mistaken; but if it is thesame bird, it must be one of the oldest Sayruses in existence..

http://books.google.com/books?pg=PA167&lpg=PA178&dq=ahsanoolla,+bird&id=_d7PAAAAMAAJ&ots=DUqOnzzIkz#v=onepage&q=ahsanoolla%2C%20bird&f=falsehttp://books.google.com/books?pg=PA167&lpg=PA178&dq=ahsanoolla,+bird&id=_d7PAAAAMAAJ&ots=DUqOnzzIkz#v=onepage&q=ahsanoolla%2C%20bird&f=falsehttp://books.google.com/books?pg=PA167&lpg=PA178&dq=ahsanoolla,+bird&id=_d7PAAAAMAAJ&ots=DUqOnzzIkz#v=onepage&q=ahsanoolla%2C%20bird&f=falsehttp://books.google.com/books?pg=PA167&lpg=PA178&dq=ahsanoolla,+bird&id=_d7PAAAAMAAJ&ots=DUqOnzzIkz#v=onepage&q=ahsanoolla%2C%20bird&f=false