COMMON CRANE. 535 



trachea still farther extended, and occupying nearly the 

 whole cavity between the two bony plates forming the 

 keel : a portion of the plate nearest the observer in both 

 these illustrations being represented as cut away, to show 

 the character and depth of the insertion. 



The usual form of the furcula, or merrythought, it will 

 be observed, does not prevail in this bird : it is not here, as 

 in most other birds, a single, slightly-attached bone, but 

 has the point of union of the two branches firmly ossified 

 to the keel, or may be considered as a prolongation of the 

 anterior portion of the keel itself extended to the head 

 of each clavicle, and affording a firm support to the 

 wings. 



In the adult male, the beak is greenish yellow at the 

 base, lighter in colour towards the point ; the irides red ; 

 the forehead, crown, nape and back of the neck, dark 

 bluish ash ; chin, throat, and front of the neck, of the same 

 dark colour, but descending four or five inches lower in 

 front ; from the eye, over the ear-coverts, and downwards 

 on the side of the neck, dull white ; general colour of the 

 back, wings, rump, tail-feathers, and all the under surface 

 of the body, ash grey ; wing-primaries black ; the tertials 

 elongated, the webs unconnected, and reaching beyond the 

 ends of the primaries. The well-known plumes of the 

 Crane are these tertial feathers, with their unconnected 

 webs forming long hair-like filaments, which the bird can 

 elevate or depress at pleasure. They were formerly much 

 worn as ornaments on the head. These and the tail- 

 feathers are varied and tipped with bluish black; under 

 surface of wings and the axillary plume light grey ; legs 

 and toes bluish black ; claws black. 



The whole length of the bird described is four feet. 

 From the carpal joint to the end of the wing, twenty-one 

 inches; the first quill-feather a little shorter than the 



