and after making three turns, passes again forwards, then
upwards, and ultimately backwards to he attached to the two
lobes of the lungs by the bronchial divisions.
The second representation is taken from the sternum of
an old female Crane, and exhibits the trachea still farther
extended, and Occupying nearly the whole cavity between
the -two bony plates forming-thé kteel^ a portion of-the
plate nearest the observer in both these illustrations being
represented as cut away, to shew the character and depth
of the insertion.
It will be observed that the furcula, or merrythought, is
not here a single, slightly-attached .bone, but has the point
of union of the two branches firmly ossified to the keel, or
may be considered as a prolongation of the anterior portion
0f the keel itself extended to the head of each clavicle, and
affording a firm support to ibiLwings.* -
In the adult male, the beak.is greenish-horn, flesh-coloured
at the base, lighter in colour- towards the p'dinf.^* the irides
reddish pTKe-for'ehead black-; -life crown red and warty; .nape
and upper neck, dark bluish-ash ; chin, throat, and front .of
the neck, of the same dark-colour, but descending four or five
inched lower in front; from the eye, over, the ear-co|gg, and
downwards on the side of themeek,.dull white; general colour
of the back, wings, rumpus tail-feathers;’ and all the under
surface S htbeybo#,- ash-grey; -wing-primaries black the
tertials elongated, the webs - unconnected-,' -and reaching
beyond the- ends .oft the primaries,. .The well-known plumes
of the Crane arefthesejte^t&lSfeathers, with their, uncon-
nected’ wehs forming long diair-like-filaments, which the bird
can ^elevate- j o t depress .at pleasure. ' They -were formerly
much worn as ornaments on the' head. These- and the'tail-
feathers are -varied' and tipped with.*- feluislbblaek;; under
surface-of wings and the- axillary plume, light -grey..legs
and toes bluish-black; ..claws black. „ ^
-The'whole, length of the bird described is four feet.
From the carpal jbifitxta the end of the wing, twentvione
inches; the first quilhfeather.a-Mttlb shorter than the fourth,
but- a little longer than the.fifth;- the -second and third
feathers nearly equal in leng^fand the, 1'dngest. ki Ethe whig.
The beak measures'four,inches-and a half; the* tarsus nine
inches, the bare part, of the leg<abovJ it four inches., '' ■'
• The sexes, when old, are nearly alike: in.plum age, but the
males are larger and rather darker than the females. Young
* Pox important observations on the Convolutions of tho Trachea in -the
Qtuidff ‘«nA in 'sffte tf&br families, see Mr. W. B.’Tegetpaeier’s Appendix ttf
Blyth’s {Monograph of the Cranes’ (1881).. .