July, 1907. The Irish Naturalist, 209 



THE CANADIAN CRANE IN CO. CORK, 



BY A. R. NICHOLS, M.A. 



Through the kind exertions of Mr. R. J. Ussher, the Dublin 

 Museum has lately acquired from Mr. T. J. Canty, of Clona- 

 kilty, a specimen of the Canadian Crane (G?us ca?iade?isis) y 

 shot in Co. Cork. To the list of American Birds obtained in 

 Ireland must now be added this grey American crane, gene- 

 rally known as the Canadian Crane or Sand-hill Crane. 



The neighbourhood of Cork would seem to be a favourite 

 place for the landing of birds that occasionally visit Ireland, 

 especially of those that come from the south, such as the 

 Griffon Vulture, Spotted Eagle, various species of Warblers, 

 Bee-eater, Hoopoe, Night-Heron, White Stork, Spoon-bill, &c. 

 Visitors from America, for instance the American Bittern and 

 Hooded Merganser, which probably arrive from the north-west, 

 have also been obtained in Co. Cork. 



A small specimen of this American Crane was shot on Sep- 

 tember 14th, 1905, while feeding near the sea-shore at Galley 

 Head, about 10 miles from Clonakilty, Co. Cork, where, for 

 about three days previously, it had been frequenting a marshy 

 piece of ground covered with tall marsh grass, and through 

 which a small stream runs. I am informed by Messrs. Rohu, 

 of Cork, who mounted the crane, that it was found to be in a 

 "very spent condition," owing, they presumed, to its long flight. 



G. canade?isis has a wide range extending over the greater 

 part of North America from the Arctic regions to Mexico, but 

 is apparently rare along the Atlantic coast. 



It seems difficult to imagine that a bird of the nature of a 

 crane could have crossed the Atlantic Ocean without having 

 derived some assistance in its transit by having rested on 

 vessels, and I am not aware of a Canadian Crane having been 

 shot before in Europe, although a few stragglers have been 

 recorded from Siberia and Japan. This species of crane is 

 sometimes kept in confinement; the specimen shot in Co. 

 Cork, however, is in good condition, the feathers clean and 

 not abraded, and there do not appear to be any indications 

 that it was an escaped bird. 



A 



