Orus communis. 61 



Mr. Dresser, in his " Birds of Europe," has given an elaborate and 

 exhaustive account of the distribution and habits of the Common Crane. 

 Amongst other observations he remarks that " it is also very common in 

 Eastern Siberia, and does not differ in any way from the European bird." 

 This, however, I must consider doubtful for the present, as the oriental 

 race, which visits India in winter, is distinguishable from the occidental 

 race, as already noticed. Pere David remarks of G. communis that it 

 " passes over the Pekin plain in September and April, being common 

 towards Mongolia." 



[This ends Mr. Blyth's somewhat brief account of this species, which 

 I think it desirable to supplement by information from other sources. 

 The most interesting account of this bird in its Oriental habitat was written 

 by the late Col. Tickell. As this account, now existing in manuscript in 

 the library of the Zoological Society, is not generally accessible, I reproduce 

 it in full, with some additions made by the author for publication in 

 TJie Field. I reprint Col. Tickell's description in full, as it is of interest 

 when taken in connection with Mr. Blyth's suggestion as to the existence 

 of two local races of this species. 



Iris orange-yellow, bill pale dull green, with flesh-coloured tip and gape ; legs and 

 feet black ; crown bounded by a line from the gape to the under eyelid, covered by a 

 black papillous skin and short recumbent hairs. A line of narrow ashy feathers along 

 mesial crown, joining the plumage at the occiput, where the black skin of the crown 

 is bounded by a red space, equally covered with black hairs, and immediately succeeded 

 by the plumage ; this all over the body is pale French grey, with the tips and end 

 halves of outer web, and margins of the scapulars, and the tertials blackish. From 

 the eye, embracing its posteal half and all the under eyelid, over ear coverts and down 

 along the hind neck for half its length, extends a broad white band ; but along the 

 mesial line of the hind neck runs a line or mane of dusky grey feathers. The rest of 

 the head and face, and all the fore neck, blackish or greyish black, ending where the 

 white ends, half-way down the neck. Quill feathers ashy black. 



A mature but not old male, killed by me on the Kalichowk river, Malda district, 

 Dec. 23, 1843, measured in length 3ft. 8in., and spread 6ft. 6in. ; wing, 1ft. Ojin. ; tail, 

 8iin. ; bill, 4 3-16in. ; tibia, lOHn. ; tarsus, 9 5-8iu. ; middle toe, 3f in. ; neck, 1ft. 4in. 



The female resembles the male. The young are paler and duller, with the grey of 

 the plumage soiled with tawny, and the white and black of the neck are hardly 

 distinguishable from the general colour of the body. 



The crane is in India, as in Europe, a bird of passage, appearing about November 

 in the plains of Hindostan, and departing in February. It is common throughout the 

 Bengal presidency during that period, but does not extend tar to the eastward. I never 

 observed it in A.rracan, nor in any part of Burma or Tenasserim. It spreads over the 

 open parts of Tirhoot, but avoids the more wooded country of eastern Poorneea, 

 Bhaulia, and Dhaka ; and is altogether unknown to the vast forests of the Terai'e, the 

 Morung, the Soonderbuns, and Chittagong. It keeps far away also from hills — even 

 the low and scantily clad ones of Chota Nagpore — where, in many years of wandering, 

 I have never seen this bird. 



Throughout the Punjab and the North-west Provinces, and Central India, from 

 Oude inclusive, as far south as Moongher, it is found in great flocks. How far it 

 extends to the west and south-westward, I know not. Jerdon speaks of it as occurring 



