Messrs. Elwes and Buckley on the Birds of Turkey. 333 



24' 1. Crex PRATENSis, Bcchst. 



Found in Epirus and near Constantinople. 



245. Grus cinerea, Bechst. 



We found the Crane tolerably numerous in some of the 

 marshes^ and were told they breed in Macedonia, which seems 

 very likely, as the ground was of almost exactly the same nature 

 as the places where they breed in Lapland, and the Crane has 

 been found breeding in Spain quite as far south as this. We 

 found Crane-steak capital eating when well-cooked, though not 

 quite so "gamy" as Bustard, which is a first-rate bird for the 

 table. 



246. Grus leucogeranus. Pall. 



Col. Drummond-Hay observed a flock of these magnificent 

 birds in Macedonia; but we are not aware of any other instance 

 of their occurrence. 



247. Grus virgo (L.). 



Very numerous in the Dobrudscha in summer, arriving about 

 the middle of April in large flocks *. 



248. Ardea ctnerea, L. 



Fairly common in all parts of the country where there are 

 marshes. 



249. Ardea purpurea, L. 



Common in Bulgaria, especially about the lakes and back- 

 waters of the Danube. 



250. Ardea alba, L. 



Very common in the marshes of Macedonia, where we have 

 seen as many as fourteen together. The great size and snowy 

 plumage of this White Heron make it a very conspicuous object 

 among the tall reeds, or when flapping slowly along above them. 

 We cannot say whether it breeds here ; but in Bulgaria, though 

 not so numerous as in Macedonia, it certainly does. An old 

 male, which was shot in February, had the long plumes of the 

 back, which fall ofi" in summer, fully developed. 



* A good account of its breeding-habits, by Mr. A. Cullen, who has 

 had much experience in the ornithology of tliat district, will be found in 

 the " Field " of Sept. 11, 1869. 



