18 GRUS. CRANE. 



cave, with two ridges on each side. Tongue rather long, 

 emarginate and papillate at the base, trigonal, acute ; oeso- 

 phagus rather narrow ; stomach a very strong gizzard, having 

 powerful lateral muscles, and a dense rugous epithelium; 

 intestine of moderate length, rather narrow ; two oblong 

 cceca. Trachea moderately flattened, curved and entering a 

 cavity in the sternum, whence it is reflected before passing 

 into the thorax ; bronchi wide. 



Nostrils linear, direct, in the fore part of the nasal groove. 

 Eyes of moderate size, eyelids bare. Aperture of ear small, 

 roundish. Feet very long ; tibia bare for about a fourth of 

 its length, covered all round with hexagonal scales; tarsus 

 very long, slender, moderately compressed, with numerous 

 broad, curved scutella before, small elongated hexagonal scales 

 on the sides, and larger scales behind ; toes four ; the first 

 very small, and elevated ; the anterior toes rather short, stout, 

 scutellate above, papillate and somewhat flattened beneath ; 

 the second a little shorter than the fourth, Avhich is connected 

 with the third by a short basal web. Claws short, decurved, 

 little compressed, rather obtuse, the third with an inner thin 

 entire edge. 



The greater part of the head bare, or sparsely covered 

 with hair-like feathers. Plumage in general soft, but imbri- 

 cated ; the feathers with moderate down-plumules ; those of 

 the neck small, oblong ; of the body broad and abruptly 

 rounded, of the hind part of the back oblong. Wings very 

 long and ample, with about thirty-five quills ; primaries 

 decurved, strong, attenuated on the inner web ; the third 

 longest, but scarcely exceeding the second and fourth, and 

 very little longer than the first ; the inner secondaries longer 

 than the primaries when the wing is closed, curved outwards, 

 and with their filaments loose toward the end ; some of the 

 secondary coverts similarly decomposed. Tail short, rounded, 

 of twelve feathers. 



The Cranes are migratory birds, which breed in the 

 northern regions of both continents, and betake themselves 

 to the temperate or warm climates in winter. They live in 

 tlocks, run with great celerity, and have a rapid and ex- 

 tended flight. When migrating they advance in lines, — con- 



