578 BRITISH BIRDS. 
amongst the multitude capable of making itself heard for two miles. 
Scream as you will, it will be a couple of minutes before you can make a 
man Close beside you hear a syllable you say.” 
The Demoiselle Crane is said by Hume to run well, but not so quickly 
as the Common Crane. When wounded, it sometimes takes to the water 
or fights fiercely. In some countries this Crane is chased by Hawks. 
Throughout the winter the Demoiselle Crane is constantly shifting its 
quarters, and the large flocks are continually separating into smaller 
parties and reuniting again. When the grain is cut they frequent the 
stubbles, where, if alarmed, they often rise for some distance in the air, 
and soar in wide circles for hours. They are at all times very wary and 
suspicious, and usually one or two birds are always on duty as sentinels to 
warn the flock of the approach of any danger. 
The Demoiselle Crane is a smaller bird than the Common species, but is 
more elegant in shape. Its general colour is pale slate-grey. The sides 
of the head and neck and the entire chin and throat are black, the feathers 
of the latter elongated and pointed, concealmg the upper breast. A tuft 
of long white feathers ornaments each side of the head. The quills are 
black, as are also the ends of the innermost secondaries, which are long 
and pointed, concealing the tail, but not curled as in the Common Crane. 
Bill olive at the base, pale brown at the tip; legs, feet, and claws nearly 
black ; irides deep scarlet. The female is slightly duller in colour than 
the male, and her nuptial plumes are somewhat smaller. Winter plumage 
scarcely differs from that of summer, except that the nuptial plumes are 
less developed. In young in first plumage the nuptial plumes on the 
sides of the head are very small and grey, the innermost secondaries and 
the feathers of the throat are not elongated, and the black on the head 
and neck is only represented by a brown patch in the middle of the latter. 
Birds of the year, after their first spring moult, are intermediate. They 
' probably do not breed until the second year; and the small flocks that are 
seen during the breeding-season most likely consist of birds of the year. 
An example of the Soudan Crane (Grus pavonia), often erroneously 
called the Balearic Crane, was shot in Ayrshire on the 17th of September 
1871 (Gray, Ibis, 1872, p. 201). There can be little doubt that it had 
escaped from confinement, as this species is only known to breed in West 
Africa and the Upper Valley of the Nile, where it is said to be a resident. 
The Soudan Crane may easily be recognized by its peculiar crown of 
feathers at the back of the head, by its white wing-coverts and chestnut 
secondaries. 
