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they move off when the slightest noise is made or 

 alarm given. This is, in all probability, the reason 

 why less is known of them than of the common cranes 

 in the more southerly parts of their migrations. The 

 nest is constructed in the most inaccessible situations, 

 and carefully concealed among reeds or other tall 

 herbage. The eggs are two in number, about the 

 she of those of a goose, ash-coloured in the ground, 

 and spotted with pale brown. From the concealment 

 of the nest, it is not easily discovered, but when it is, 

 the female defends her eggs and also her young ones 

 with great boldness, and on such occasions, from her 

 strength, the power of her bill, and her dexterity in 

 the use of it, she makes a stout defence against both 

 men and dogs. 



THE NUMIDIAN CRANE (G. virgo"). This species 

 is generally styled the demoiselle crane, as is sup- 

 posed from the comparative lightness and elegance 

 of its form. It is not near so large as the last 

 mentioned species, being only about three feet three 

 inches in height, and the form of its body is light and 

 slender. Of the height, the legs and neck make up 

 y very great proportion, as they are exceedingly long. 

 The general colour of the body is bluish grey, but 

 the crown of the head and tips of the primary quills 

 are black. Behind the eye on each side there arises 

 a tuft of white feathers, which unite and form a sort 

 of crest on the occiput. From the lower neck and 

 breast there are long and slender black feathers which 

 hang over the others, and are very silky and flexible 

 in their texture. 



Though called the Numidian crane, and probably 

 more abundant in Northern Africa than any other 

 part of the world, these handsome birds are not con- 

 lined to that country. During the overflowing of the 

 Nile they are by no means rare in Egypt ; and in 

 autumn they are sometimes met with as far to the north- 

 ward as Constantinople. Indeed they are met with 

 on the southern shores of the Black Sea, the Caspian, 

 and lakes Aral and Baikal ; though it does not appear 

 that they reach so far northward as the summer haunts 

 of the great Siberian crane. They are found on the 

 banks of rivers and lakes, where they feed chiefly 

 upon fish. They are brisk and lively bird?, gentle in 

 their manners, very easily tamed, and capable of 

 some instruction. In the wild state indeed they are 

 very prone to a sort of dancing motion ; and in con- 

 finement they may be taught to dance and perform 

 several other feats at the bidding of their keepers. 

 They are very attached, fond of being caressed, and 

 strut about with apparent pride when they are noticed. 

 In the south-east of Russia, and in the country ex- 

 tending thence to the Caspian, which abounds in salt 

 lakes, they breed on the margins of these ; and the 

 females are said not to conceal their nests so much 

 as some of the other species. They can not only be 

 made to join other domestic birds in farm yards, but 

 there have been many instances of their breeding 

 freely in a state of confinement. They are hardy 

 and also long-lived, and Buftbn mentions one which 

 was hatched at Versailles, and lived four and twenty 

 years. There are some in the gardens of the Zoolo- 

 gical Society of London, which are very tame ; and 

 there is no doubt that they could be pretty generally 

 introduced wherever ornamental birds are kept with 

 proper attention. They are very industrious and 

 successful fishers, however, and would of course lay 

 the fish ponds under heavy contributions. 



THE CROWNED CRANE (G. parvonma). This also 



is an African species, inhabiting to the southward of 

 the desert, or at least found most abundantly in that 

 part of the country. It has been styled the Balearic 

 crane, which appears to be a misnomer, as there is 

 no evidence that it breeds in the Balearic isles, on 

 the east coast of Spain, or even visits them. The 

 rich and humid parts of Western Africa are its 

 favourite haunts, and there it is a very tame and 

 familiar bird. It can be tamed, and is as fond of 

 attention as the preceding species ; and the natives 

 of Africa regard it with a sort of veneration, and 

 endeavour to prevent it from being destroyed. In 

 confinement it bathes frequently in cold water, and 

 will eat either vegetable or animal food, though it 

 prefers small fishes to every thing else. It is an ex- 

 ceedingly showy bird ; slate blue on the upper part 

 of the body, with the tail-feathers and quills black 

 and bright brown, and the coverts of the wings pure 

 white. The sides of the head are naked, and so is a 

 portion of the throat, from which there hangs a sort 

 of wattle, all which naked skin is rose colour, or 

 bright red. A close round tuft of black feathers 

 covers the front and crown of the head, from behind 

 which there rises on the occiput a beautiful crest or 

 crown of yellow thread-like feathers, which are twisted 

 spirally and have black points. The bill and feet are 

 black, and the irides are almost without colour. Its 

 ordinary walk, though majestic and stately, is slow ; 

 but when it spreads its wings as a means of balancing 

 itself, it can run with great rapidity. It is also a bird 

 of long, powerful, and very elevated flight. Its cry is 

 a loud and hoarse clang ; but when pleased it can 

 also utter a sort of clucking sound. From its form, 

 its size, the strong contrast of its colours, its measured 

 gait, and its familiar manners, it is one of the most 

 attractive birds in an aviary. Like the rest, however, 

 it is of very little value as an article of food ; and there- 

 fore it can be considered only as an ornamental bird. 



Respecting the other birds which resemble the 

 cranes, less is known. They are natives of South 

 America, especially of the plains of Paraguay ; they 

 are, 



COURLAN, or COURLIRI (Aramus}. The characters 

 are : the bill longer than the head, hard, strong, com- 

 pressed laterally, straight for the greater part, but 

 slightly curved toward the tip, where it is a little 

 enlarged. The upper niandible is slightly furrowed, 

 and the under one is enlarged at the middle, angular, 

 and pointed. The nostrils are linear at the sides of 

 the bill near the base ; the tarsi are long ; there are 

 four toes divided to their bases, the front ones smooth 

 on their under sides and slender, and the fourth are 

 articulated on the hinder part of the tarsus, but in 

 such a manner as that it bears upon the ground. 

 The wings are of mean length, the first quill very 

 short, and the third the longest on the wing. Those 

 characters indicate a difference in haunt and in habit 

 from the cranes; and though the manners of the birds 

 are very little known, it is understood that they are 

 peculiar, that they do not enter the waters even as 

 waders, or fish, but live npon snakes and other reptiles 

 on the humid parts of the land. There are at least 

 two known species, A. caran and A. scolupacca. The 

 first is blackish brown on the upper part, with a tinge 

 of purple on the back and rump, feathers on the head 

 and sides of the neck brown with white centres ; lower 

 parts brown, spotted with white on the belly ; bill 

 yellow with black tip ; irides red ; and feet ash colour ; 

 length about two feet three inches. The second spe- 

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