ç.'
COMMON
CRANE.
D i SCRIPTION*
P la c e and
M anne r s .
Ardea Grus, bin* Syß. i. p. 234. 4,— Faun- Suec> 161.— Scop. Ann.i•
N° 122.— Brun. p. 156.— Muller, p. 22.—Kram. EL p. 343,— Fri/cb.
pi. 194.
La Grue, Brif. Orn. v. p. 375. 6.— Buf. Ol/. vii. p. 287. pi. 14— Pi..
Enl. 769.
The Crane, Rail Syn. p. 95. A. \.— Will. Orn. p. 274. pi. 4.%.— Kolben, HIß.
Cap. ii. p. 141.— Albin. ii. pi. 65.— Br. Zool. app. p. 629, pi. 6.—
Arft. Zool. p. 453.
Lev. Muf.
»TPHIS is a large bird, not unfrequently weighing ten pounds,
and meafures more than five feet in length. The bill is almoft
four inches and a quarter long, and of a greenilh black: the forehead,
to the middle of the crown, covered with black down or
hairs; the hind part bare and red, with a few fcattered hairs :
on the nape, below this, is a bare fpace of two inches, and of an
afh-colour : the fides of the head, behind the eyes, and the hind
part of the neck, are white : between the bill and eyes, the
cheeks beneath them, and the fore part of the neck, are of a
blackifh afh-colour : the lower part of the neck, and the reft of
the body, fine afh-colour, deepeft on the tail coverts: the greater
wing coverts are blackifh; and thofe fartheft from the body,
with the baftard wing, and quills, black: from the pinion of
each wing fprings an elegant tuft of loofe feathers, curled at the
ends, which may be erefted at will, but in a quiefcent ftate hang
over and cover the ta il: the legs are black.
This fpecies feems far fpread, being met with in great flocks
throughout northern Europe, and After, in Sweden, RuJJia throughout,
and Sibiria as*far as the river Anadyr, migrating even to the
arftic circle. In Kamtjchatka only feen on the fouthern promon-
9 tory:
tbry * : are migratory, returning northward to breed m the
fpring, and generally choofing the fame places which had been
occupied by them the feafon before f . In the winter inhabiting
the warmer regions, fuch as Egypt J, Aleppo ||, India, &c. : alfo
met with at the Cape of Good Hope, changing place with the
feafon. In their migrations frequently fly fo high as not to be
vifible j their pafiing only being known by the noife they make,
being louder than any other bird §. In France they are feen
fpring and autumn; but for the moft part are mere pafiengers.
We are told that they frequented the marfhes of Lincolnßire
and Cambridgeß/ire, in vaft flocks, formerly ; but the cafe is
altered, as of late none have been met with, except, a few years
fince, a Angle bird fhot near Cambridge.
We are told that they make the neft in the marfhes, and lay
two blueifh eggs. The young birds are thought very good
food. They feed on reptiles of all kinds, and in turn on green
corn; of which laft they are faid to make fo great havock, as to
ruin the farmers, wherever the flocks of thefe depredators
alight.
* Arcl. Zool.— One of the reafons fuppofed tobe, the want offrogs, toads, and
Jerpents ; none being found in Kamt/cbatka.— Hß. of Kamtfcb.— —They have
however plenty of lixards.
Amasn. Acad. iv. p. 589.
J Id. note (m.)—*Willugbby met with them at Rome in the winter feafon.
]| Ru/f. Alep. p. 69.
6 Suppofed to arife from the Angular conformation of the wind-pipe, which,
ts entering far into the breaft-bone, which has a great cavity to receive it, and
being there thrice refle&ed, goes out again at the fame hole, and fo turns down
to the lungs."— Will. Orn. p. 274. pi. 48.— The above ftrudure. is not very
unlike that of the P(irr,aqua Phea/ant. See vol. ii. part 2. p. 722. of this Work*
You III. G L«