316 BIRDS OF EUROPE AND NORTH AFRICA 



GRUIDiE. 



Tail feathers 12 ; hind toe present, higher than the others; 

 bill as long as or longer than head. 



Megalornis. 

 Head in old birds partly or entirely without feathers ; tall, 

 long-legged birds with outward resemblance to Storks ; frequent 

 open plains and marshes; wings very long, especially 

 secondaries; feed on vegetable substances, insects, reptiles, 

 etCc ; nest on ground in marshes ; eggs 2, olive grey or olive 

 brown, streaked and blotched reddish or pale brown. 



Megalornis grus grus (L.). Crane. Fr. La Grue 

 cendree ; Ger. Kranich ; Ital. Gru ; Swed. Trana. 



^ $ Pale slate grey, quills black ; crown, forehead, and lores 

 without feathers but with black bristles ; occiput red ; nape, 

 throat, and foreneck sooty, band from eye down sides of neck 

 white ; breast-bone hollowed out, containing bent windpipe. Bill 

 greyish green, paler at tip, browner at base. Legs and feet 

 black. Wing ^ 600-630, $ 550-590. Tarsus 250-260, Bill 

 $ 114-118, ? io5-ii2(H.). 



Breeds. — Scandinavia, Finland, Livonia, Russia up to 68° N., 

 N. Germany, S. Spain, Venetia, Lower Danube, and in W. Asia. 

 Migrates ; winters in Mediterranean Basin and in Africa. Of 

 occasional occurrence in British Isles. 



Anthropoides. 



Head entirely feathered; secondaries very long, reaching 

 beyond primaries. 



Anthropoides virgo (L.). Demoiselle Crane. Ger. 

 Jungfernkranich ; Ital. Damigella di Numidia. 



(J ? Blue slate ; crown light grey ; lores, hind neck, pectoral 

 plumes and quills black ; secondaries long, pointed, pendant, 

 concealing tail, tipped black ; tuft of white feathers spring from 

 behind eye resembling crest. Bill olive, orange at tip. Legs 

 and feet black. Iris red. Wing 445-525. Tarsus 173-220. Bill 

 63-72. (J being the larger (H.). 



