576 BRITISH BIRDS. 
The Demoiselle Crane is only a summer visitor to Europe, arriving at its 
breeding-grounds in South Russia and the Lower Danube in March and 
April. It departs again in September, and is said to pass through North- 
east Africa in October, on its way to its winter-quarters. In Siberia, 
Radde states that it arrived at Tarei-nor about the 6th of May, and left 
from the middle to the end of August. Prjevalsky says that it arrived 
in Mongolia about the end of March, and left in September. It arrives 
at its winter-quarters in India in October, where its appearance is hailed 
with delight, as a signal that the cold season has commenced. This 
graceful Crane migrates in large flocks like its congener the Common 
Crane, and often flies so high as to be out of sight, its presence only being 
made known by its note. When on migration these flocks generally fly in 
the form of the letter Yor W. The flight of this bird is very graceful, 
performed with slow and regular beats of the broad wings, with the neck 
and legs outstretched. Sometimes the flocks pass over during night, some- 
times during day ; and when arrived at the end of their journey they do not 
disperse for some little time. Heuglin says that when on migration the 
scattered flocks alight on the sand-banks and on the marshes; they also 
frequent grain-fields on the steppes, and if alarmed rise en masse with a 
loud babel of cries. The Demoiselle Crane appears sometimes to perform 
various grotesque movements, which have not inaptly been termed dancing. 
These antics are probably connected in some way with pairing, and serve the 
same purpose as the “lek” of Game Birds. This bird loves to frequent 
sandy districts, steppes, and extensive sandy plains, even the deserts, where 
it is said to visit the wells to drink after the cattle have been watered. 
I saw the Demoiselle Crane on the sandy shores of the inland lakes on 
the Lower Danube. It is a very elegant and slender-looking bird, well 
worthy of its namesakes before Mrs. Grundy had deformed them with 
dress-improvers. It was in small parties, which allowed us to approach 
within long gunshot, when they flew leisurely away, making a cry like 
krr, very different to the loud trumpet-like note of the Common Crane. 
Its food consists of grain, seeds, shoots of herbage, insects of various 
kinds, worms, and, it is said, lizards and snakes. They are said to drink- 
very regularly ; and in the evening leave the fields where they have spent 
the day, and retire to the nearest marshes to roost. 
In the valley of the Lower Danube this Crane commences to make pre- 
parations for breeding about a fortnight after its arrival. The large flocks 
break up and separate in pairs, but small flocks are constantly to be seen 
feeding together during the breeding-season. The nest is always built 
on the ground, often amongst growing grain of some kind or amongst tall 
grass in the meadows. It is a very slight structure, the surrounding herbage 
being generally trodden down and a slight hollow formed, into which are 
scraped a few straws, and sometimes one or two small stones. 
