190 GRUIDAG 
this bird was sufficiently common in Cambridgeshire and 
Lincolnshire for the king to capture as many as seven and 
nine in one day with gerfalcons” . : 
Turner, in his Aviwm Historia, 1544, states ‘that he had 
often seen the young ones—in locis ‘palustribus eayum 
piptones sepissime vidi. Leslie also in 1578, wrote of this 
bird as being common (Grues plurim@) in Scotland (De 
origine moribus et rebus gestis Scotorwm, p. 25) (‘ Handbook 
of Brit. Birds,’ 1901, pp. 155, '156.) 
“Tt has been believed’’ writes Mr. Ussher, “‘ that the 
Crane was common in Ireland in the twelfth century, from 
the statement by Giraldus de Barri (Cambrensis) that a 
hundred of these birds (Grues) might then be seen in a flock, 
and his chapter on the Crane in the British Museum MS. 
is illustrated with an unmistakable coloured figure ; Higden 
also, in the fourteenth century, stated that Ireland abounded 
in Eagles, Cranes, Peacocks (Capercaillies?), Quails, Hawkes, 
and Falcons. We cannot, however, be sure that these 
ancient writers did not confound the Heron with the Crane, 
as is done at the present day; ‘‘ Crane” being the name by 
which the Heron is generally known in Ireland.” During 
_the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, Cranes visited the 
British Isles regularly in winter, but for over a hundred 
years this species has ceased to be enumerated among our 
annual winter-migrants. 
The Crane is a very striking-looking figure: it is the 
largest of wading-birds, standing upwards of four feet high. 
Flight.—Watching the bird stalking about in a slow and 
dignified manner one would hardly credit it with the power 
of taking immense flights. But to quote Prof. Newton’s 
words, ‘‘ The Crane’s aérial journeys are of a very extended 
kind; and on its way from beyond the borders of the Tropic 
of Cancer to within the Arctic Circle, or on the return- 
voyage, its flocks may be described passing overhead at a 
marvellous height, or halting for rest and refreshment on the 
wide meadows that border some great river, while the seeming 
order with which its ranks are marshalled during flight has 
long attracted attention’ (Dict. Birds, p. 110). 
Votce-—Unlike the Storks, the Crane is capable of pro- 
ducing a remarkably full-toned trumpet-like blast. ‘his 
is uttered both when the bird is flying and on the ground. 
I have frequently heard it from birds in captivity in early 
spring, and have noted that the mouth is kept open during 
the vibrations caused by several successive notes. 
