8 Monogrnjih of the Cranes. 



then affectionately running its long bill through the young one's feathers." 

 The young Mantchurian crane described by Mr. Bartlett is admirably 

 figured by Wolf in the volume of the Proceedings of the Zoological 

 Sooiety for 1861 (pi. xsxv). Mr. Dresser, in his "History of the Birds of 

 Europe," figures the chick of G. cODuniniis, the downy vesture of which is 

 ferruginous. Respecting the Mantchurian species Mr. Bartlett continues : 



From the time of hatching the female alone broods upon or nestles the chick, 

 although the male takes turn in the task of incubation ; and I notice that the female 

 does not squat down on the young one to brood, but sits down on the ground near it, 

 and the young bird immediately walks behind her : she then raises her long black 

 plumes, between which the little one creeps, and passes forward under one of her wings 

 until quite out of sight ; her plumes are then lowered into their ordinary position. 

 There is a beautiful example of the progressive growth from the first down to the 

 perfect feathers to be seen in the young of this bird. I have in many birds observed 

 this, but not to so great an extent. It appears that the first down is not thrown off, 

 but continues to grow longer, until the perfect feather is developed, having the early 

 down attached at its point ; this condition is to be seen not only on the points of the 

 primaries, but also on the ends of the feathers of the entire plumage. The rapid 

 growth of the plumage can be best understood from the fact that on the 27th of 

 September it was found necessary to catch the young bird (hatched on the 2-tth of June), 

 in order to cut the primaries of one of its wings to prevent its flying away. The bird 

 by this time almost equalled its parents in size, and now is attaining the colouring of 

 the adult. 



In most, if not all, bare-fronted or bare-necked birds the young are not 

 so, as familiarly exemplified by the turkey and the guinea-fowl. Mr. Hume 

 has particularly noticed how the Asiatic White Crane becomes bare in front. 

 " Long before they leave," he writes, " the rich bufi' or sandy colour of the 

 young has begun to give place to the white of the adult plumage, and the 

 faces and foreheads, which (as in the Common Crane) are feathered in the 

 young, have begun to grow bare. This, I notice, seems to result from the 

 barbs composing the vanes of the tiny feathers falling off, and leaving only 

 the naked hair-like shafts : " [Ibis, 1868, p. 33.) He also remarks that the 

 young of the second year, which associate together in small flocks when in 

 their winter quarters (apart from the older and paired birds, each with their 

 single oSspring), have not at that age attained to their full size and 

 weight. 



The common European Crane is one of the most highly gregarious of 

 the group, at least in its migratory flights and whilst in its winter quarters. 

 Col. Chesney writes of it, but, strangely, without recognising the species, and 

 after noticing the Ostrich as being still an inhabitant of Syria and part of 

 Arabia, states that — 



Another large bird occasionally appeared, passing southwai'd in such great flocks as 

 to cover the swelling hills of North-western Arabia with their tall erect figures. Seen 

 on the hills at a distance, they looked like a force clad in pale grey, with sentinels and 

 outposts carefully placed on the flanks to give notice of the approach of an enemy from 

 any quarter. All our efforts failed in approaching this wary bird, even within rifle 



