72 THE STORY OF THE BIRDS 



of some ancient type, and to assign them a 

 natural place in the avine classification is a well- 

 nigh hopeless task. The Cranes are a group of 

 large wading birds, long-necked and long-limbed. 

 The bill is stout, and about as long as the head, 

 the nostrils enclosed by a membrane, and the 

 nasal groove extends more than half the length 

 of the upper mandible. The peculiar modifi- 

 cation of the sternum and the trachea has 

 already been described (conf. pp. 31, 49). The 

 wings are long and ample, the inner secondaries 

 developing into drooping plumes which partially 

 conceal the short tail. The young are hatched 

 covered with down. Cranes live in swamps and 

 on vast open plains, and are remarkable for 

 their extended migrations. Their flight is power- 

 ful and sustained. Their notes are loud and 

 trumpet-like. They make their nests on the 

 ground in the swamps, and their two or three 

 eggs are handsomely marked. They feed on 

 grain, seeds, shoots and leaves, lizards, snakes, 

 and small mammals. The Limpkins present 

 features which ally them to the Cranes on one 

 hand and to the Rails on the other. They 

 frequent streams and marshes, make a nest on 

 the ground, and lay numerous white eggs spotted 

 with brown and purple. The Kagu is a most 



