AVES— CRANE 



625 



rous as she retires from the nest. If very near, she appears altogether 

 unconcerned ; and her cries cease in proportion as her fears are augmented. 

 When appioached by dogs, she flies heavily, at a little distance before tnem. 

 as if maimed ; still vociferous, and still bold, but never offering to move 

 towards the quarter where her young ones are stationed. The dogs pursue, 

 m expectation every moment of seizing the parent, and by this means actu- 

 ally lose the offspring ; for the cunning bird, having thus drawn them off to 

 a proper distance, exerts her powers, and leaves her astonished pursuers to 

 gaze at the rapidity of her flight." The lapwing may be domesticated, and 

 it then becomes uncommonly familiar and confiding. 



THE CRANEi 



is a tall, slender bird, with a long neck and long legs. The top of the head 

 is covered with black bristles, and the back of it is bald and red, which suf- 

 ficiently distinguishes this bird from the stork, to which it is very nearly 

 allied in size and figure. The plumage, in general, is ash colored; and there 

 are two large tufts of feathers that spring from the pinion of each wing. 



1 Grus cinerea, Bechst. The genus Grus has the bill as long as, or longer than the 

 head, strong, straight, compressed, obtuse towards the tip ; lateral base of the mandible 

 deeply sulcated ; ridge elevated ; nostrils in the middle of the bill closed behind by a 

 membrane; region of the eyes and base of the bill naked and papillons, or covered with 

 feathers; legs long, with a large naked space above the knees; the middle fore toe united 

 to the outer by a rudimentary membrane, the inner divided ; hind toe articulated higher on 

 the tarsus. 



79 53 



