Grus viridirostris. 



53 



GRUS VIRIDIROSTRIS. Vieillot. 



THE MANTCHURIAN CRANE. 



Geds japonensis, Briss. Oi-nith. v. 381. (1760.) 

 Geds viridirostris, Vieillot, Eucycl. Meth., iii., p. 1141. (1823.) 

 Grus collaris, Temm. Planch, col. (sub. tab 449). (1828.) 

 Antigone montiqnesia, Bp. Compt. rend, xsxviii., p. 661. (1854.) 

 Geos montigenesia, Wolf, Zool. Sketches, Series I., pi. 46. (1861.) 

 Geus montigenesia, Wolf, P.Z.S., 1861, pi. 35 (Young). 



[Mr. Blyth described this species under the name of Grus Japonensis, 

 Briss., but Mr. P. L. Sclater, in the notes which he has favoured me, writes 



as follows : 



Briason's authority to give specific names not being allowed by the Stricklandian 

 code of nomenclature — the earliest name applicable to the present bird seems to be 

 viridirostris of Vieillot (Eno. Mi5th. p. 1141), based upon Brisson's description. The 

 term collaris bestowed upon it by Temminck, in his " Planches Coloriees " (sub. tab. 

 449), had been previously assigned by Boddaert to another species. See page 45.] 



The Mantchurian Crane is conspicuously much larger than the common 

 species, and of precisely the same subtype ; but the plumage is pure white, 

 except the throat and middle of the neck all round, continued to a point 

 towards the base of the neck behind, which are ashy-black, and the grand 

 tufts formed by the erectile tertiaries and their disunited webs, which are 

 black ; forehead and crown bare and crimson, the former concealed by 

 black bristle-like plumelets ; bill and feet dull green ; irides very dark, 

 appearing black in the living bird; the ear-coverts are white, the ashy 

 black extending partly round them behind. The sexes hardly diifer in 

 external appearance. 



