186 



1407. Grus communis. The Common Crane. 



Ardea grus, Linn. Syst. Nat. i, p. 234 (1760]. 



Grus comnmnis, Bechst. Naturg. DeutscJiL iii, p. 60 (1793) : 



Cat. no. 865 ; Hume $ Marsh. Game B. iii, p. 21, pi. : Butler, S. F. 



iv, p. 15 ; ix, p. 427 ; Reid, S. F. x, p. 68 ; Barnes, Birds Bom. p. 341. 

 Grus cinerea, Meyer $ Wolf, Taschenb. ii, p. 350 (1810) ; Blijth, 



Cat. p. 274; Jerdon, B. I. iii, p. 664 ; Blyth, Ibis, 1873, p. 81 ; 



Hnme, S. F. i, p. 235 ; Adam, ibid. p. 395 ; Butler, S F. iv, p. 15 ; 



Fairbank, ibM. p. 263 ; Ball, S. F. vii, p. 227 ; Scully, S. F. viii. 



p. 352 ; Simson, Ibis, 1882, p. 93. 

 Grus grus et G. lilfordi, Sharpe, Cat*B. M. xxii, pp. 2oO, 2c2 (1894). 



Kunmch, Kurch, Kuhutg, H. ; Kutij, Sind ; Kallam, Deccan ; Kulangi, 

 Tel. 



Coloration. Crown and lores nearly naked, with scattered black 

 hnirs ; on the nape a blackish-slaty triangular patch, the point 

 behind ; a white band down each side of the head from the eye, 

 joining behind the nape and covering the hind neck ; cheek, chin, 

 throat, fore neck, and sides of neck dark slaty like the nape ; rest 

 of plumage above and below ashy grey, paler or darker, except the 

 winglet, the primaries, the greater primary-coverts away from 

 their bases, and the tips of the secondaries and tertiaries, which 

 are black; ends of the tail-feathers blackish. 



Young birds are brownish owing to the grey feathers having 

 isabelline edges, and the head is feathered throughout. The 

 nestlings are covered with down of a yellowish-buff colour. In 

 old birds the webs of the elongate tertiary quills are free, and the 

 tertiaries form a loose- textured plume. 



Skin of crown blackish, with a broad band of dingy red across 

 the occiput; bill dingy horny green, yellowish towards the tip; 

 i rides orange-red to reddish brown; legs and feet black, soles 

 brown to fleshy. 



Length about 45; tail 8; wing 22 to end of primaries; tarsus 9'5; 

 bill from gape 4-6. 



Distribution. A migratory bird, breeding in Northern Europe 

 and Northern Asia, and wintering in Southern Europe, Northern 

 Africa, South-western Asia, Northern India, and China. In India 

 this Crane is found as far south as the Mahanadi of Orissa to the 

 eastward, and throughout the Bombay Deccan, and it is said to 

 occur in Travancore (this requires confirmation) ; but it is unknown 

 generally in Southern India and throughout Ceylon, Assam, and 

 Burma, and is more common in Northern than in Central India. 



Dr. B. B. Sharpe in his Catalogue distinguished the Eastern 

 Crane as G. lilfordi on account of its paler coloration. Mr. Blyth 

 long ago pointed out some distinctions in the colour of the naked 

 crown. But it is extremely doubtful whether any differences are 

 constant, and I learn from Dr. Sharpe that he no longer looks 

 upon the Eastern Crane as a distinct species. 



Habits, <$fc. The Common Crane arrives in Northern India in 

 October and leaves about March, a few stragglers remaining 

 Longer. It is usually seen in flocks, large or small, which pass the 



