338 REPTILES AND BIRDS. 
found all over Europe. Four British species are described—JB. sée/- 
laris, B. lentiginosus, B. minutus, and B. comatus. 
The Crane (Gris), which forms a genus among the Cultrirostres, 
is characterised by a bill much longer than the head, stout, straight, 
tapering, compressed, and pointed, but always slightly cleft; feet 
long; tibia bare for a fourth of 
its length, covered with hexa- 
gonal scales; toes, four; back 
toe short, which does not 
reach the ground: wings 
long and pointed. The 
Cranes are essentially mi- 
gratory birds, and possess 
wonderful requisites ; for, in 
addition to prolonged powers 
of flight, they enjoy the valu- 
able faculty of being able to 
endure total abstinence from 
food for several days—a fa- 
culty which, we may remark, 
is common to most of the 
Wader tribe, though in a less 
degree. 
scribed: the Common Crane, 
the Demoiselle Crane, the 
Crowned Crane, and the 
= Hooping Crane. 
Fig. 133.—Common Crane. The Common Crane(Grus 
cinerea, Fig. 133) 1s a fine 
bird, attaining nearly five feet in height. With the exception of the 
neck, which is black, all the rest of its body is of a uniform ashy- 
grey colour. The carriage of the bird is noble and graceful, and the 
feathers on its rump, which rise up in undulating clusters, add much 
to its elegance. 
These Cranes are periodical visitors to France; they arrive in 
Europe in the month of April or May, passing the fine weather in 
more northern countries. ‘Towards the middle of October, on the 
arrival of the first cold weather, they leave us in order to winter in 
Egypt, Abyssinia, or even Southern Asia. ‘They travel in flocks, 
numbering sometimes as many as 300 or 4oo birds ; generally they 
arrange themselves in two lines, so as to form an isosceles triangle, 
There are four species de-. 
ee eae 
