GRUID^E. 279 



contained nothing but insects and a large quantity of 

 gravel. 



[I have not seen a Damara-Land example of this Crane ; but 

 a description of it which is contained in Mr. Andersson's memo- 

 randa leaves no doubt of his having identified the species cor- 

 rectly. ED.] 



326. Balearica regulorum (Licht.). Southern Crowned Crane. 



Balearica regulorum, Gray's Knowsley Menagerie, pi. 13. 



Layard's Cat. No. 575. 



Ardea pavonia, Chapman's Travels in S. Afr., App. p. 417. 

 Grus regulorum, Finsch & Hartlaub's Vogel Ost-Afrika's, p. 669. 

 Balearica regulorum, Gray's Hand-list of Birds, No. 10095. 



I have never observed this handsome bird in Great 

 Namaqua or Damara land ; but I have met with it at 

 Lake Ngami, and also on the rivers Botletle, Teoughe, 

 and Okavango. In Ondonga it is very common during 

 the dry season, but leaves the open plains when the wet 

 season returns. It is met with singly or in pairs, and 

 sometimes in small flocks, and presents a very graceful 

 appearance as it stalks leisurely about in search of its 

 food, which consists of various insects, of the smaller 

 reptiles, and, it is said, of fish also. 



The yellow bristles of the crown of this Crane are 

 used by the inhabitants of Ovampo Land as ornaments 

 for their heads. 



Measurements of a male : 



in. lin. 



Entire length 40 6 



Length of folded wing 22 6 



tarsus 79 



middle toe 40 



tail 10 6 



bill ... . . 2 11 



