17 



GRUS. CRANE. 



On account of their large size, the elongation of their 

 tibia? and tarsi, and the straight, tapering, compressed form 

 of their bill, the Cranes have by most authors been associated 

 with the Herons, which they further resemble in their general 

 aspect. But they differ from these birds in several essential 

 respects, as will presently be shown. The body is large, 

 ovate, and little compressed ; the neck very long and of 

 moderate thickness ; the head ovate, and much rounded 

 above. 



Bill much longer than the head, stout, straight, tapering, 

 compressed, pointed ; upper mandible with the dorsal line 

 straight, until near the end, when it is convexo-declinate, 

 the ridge rather broad and nearly flat for about two-thirds of 

 its length, then convex, the sides sloping, the edges strong, 

 sharp, straight, notchless, the tip narrowed, thin-edged, 

 rather obtuse ; nasal groove large, half the length of the bill, 

 filled by a bare membrane, with a deep broad groove at its 

 fore part ; lower mandible with the angle very narrow and 

 extending to the middle, the dorsal line ascending, almost 

 straight, the sides of the crura concave, the ridge rounded, 

 the sides toward the end convex, the edges sharp and strong, 

 the tip narrow, thin-edged, rather obtuse; gape-line straight, 

 commencing opposite the base of the ridge, and much ante- 

 rior to the eyes. 



Mouth very narrow, altogether unlike that of the Herons ; 

 palate convex, with three longitudinal anterior series of 

 strong, compressed, horny papilla?, those of the middle ridge 

 largest ; upper mandible internally moderately concave, with 

 a prominent median line ; lower mandible more deeply con- 



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