454 



THE DEMOISELLE CKANE AND THE HERON. 



are two in number, and their color is light olive, covered with dashes 

 of a deeper hue and brown. The well-known plumes of the Crane are 

 the elongated tertials, with their long drooping loose webs, which, when 

 on the wings of the bird, reach beyond the primaries. 



The forehead, top of the head, and neck are rather dark slaty ash, 

 and a patch of grayish white extends from behind the eyes partially 

 down the neck on each side. The general surface of the body is soft 

 ashen gray, and the primaries are black. The long plumy tertials form 

 two crest-like ornaments, which can be raised or depressed at will. The 

 eyes are red, and the beak is yellow w^ith a green tinge. The total length 



of the adult crane is about four 

 feet, but it is rather variable in 

 point of size, and the males are 

 rather larger than the females. 

 The Demoiselle or Numid- 

 IAN Crane is common in many 

 parts of Africa, and has been seen 

 in some portions of Asia, and oc- 

 casionally in Eastern Europe. 



It is a very pretty bird, the 

 soft texture of the flowing plum- 

 age and the delicate grays of the 

 feathers harmonizing with each 

 other in a very agreeable man- 

 ner. The general tint of the 

 plumage is blue-gray, taking a 

 more leaden tone on the head 

 and neck, and offering a beauti- 

 ful contrast to the snowy-white 

 ear-tufts, issuing from velvety 



,r, T^ ^ .r, XT ^ black, which decorate the head. 



Xhe Demoiselle Crane (Scops Virgo), rp. • i . xv r. i n 



^ ^ ^ ' ihere is also a tuft or long tlow- 



ing plumes of a deep black-gray hanging from the breast. Its secon- 

 daries are much elongated, and hang over the primaries and tail- 

 feathers. In height the Demoiselle Crane is about three feet six inches. 

 The well-known Heron was once one of our commonest English 

 birds, but on account of the draining of swamps and their conversion 

 into fertilizad and liabitable ground is now seldom to be seen except in 

 certain localities which still retain the conditions that render them so 

 acceptable to this bird. There are some places where Herons are yet 

 plentiful, especially those localities where the owner of the land has 

 established or protected the nests, or where a wide expanse of wild un- 

 cultivated ground affords them a retreat. I once came suddenly on 

 three of these beautiful birds fishing quietly in the Avon, and permitting 



