THE WORLD'S BIRDS. 19 



GAIT. Usually a slow^ dignified walk, but they can 

 run fairly well. Few species perch only the 

 Crowned Cranes (Balearica). They can swim on 

 occasion, and are fond of wading. 



FLIGHT. Heavy, but powerful ; they soar with ease 

 and do this for pleasure. They keep both neck 

 and legs extended in flight. 



NOTE. A loud trumpeting, or hollow booming or 

 hooting. 



DISPOSITION AND HABITS. Playful and sociable ; 

 but they separate into pairs in the breeding season 

 and are then often savage. They are highly wary 

 and very intelligent, and very active, unlike 

 herons. 



ECONOMIC QUALITIES. Most are very destructive to 

 corn and other crops, but are also good eating. 

 Being hard to get near, they are considered good 

 sporting birds. 



CAPTIVITY. They thrive admirably, and some have 

 bred, the Manchurian Crane (Grus japonensis) and 

 Demoiselle (Anthropoides virgo) being the most 

 inclined to breed in captivity. 



DISTRIBUTION AND IMPORTANT SPECIES. Cranes are 

 found in most of the Old World and North 

 America, the northern species going south in 

 winter. They are only found in open country 

 and usually near water. There are only about 

 sixteen species. The best -known generally is 

 probably the above-mentioned East Asiatic 

 Manchurian Crane, as it is such a favourite in 

 Japanese art ; it is one of the largest species, 

 white with black wing-plumes, grey neck and bare 

 red crown. The Common Crane of Europe and 

 Asia (Grus grus) is a bird of similar type, but 

 much smaller and nearly all grey. The American 

 Sand-hill Crane (G. canadensis) is also a grey bird 

 of medium size for a Crane, with the head bare 



2* 



