BRITISH BIRDS. 



The Demoiselle Crane is only a summer visitor to Europe, arriving at its 

 breeding-grounds in South Russia and the Lower Danube in March and 

 April. It departs again in September, and is said to pass through North- 

 east Africa in October, on its way to its winter- quarters. In Siberia, 

 Radde states that it arrived at Tarei-nor about the 6th of May, and left 

 from the middle to the end of August. Prjevalsky says that it arrived 

 in Mongolia about the end of March, and left in September. It arrives 

 at its winter- quarters in India in October, where its appearance is hailed 

 with delight, as a signal that the cold season has commenced. This 

 graceful Crane migrates in large flocks like its congener the Common 

 Crane, and often flies so high as to be out of sight, its presence only being 

 made known by its note. When on migration these flocks generally fly in 

 the form of the letter V or W. The flight of this bird is very graceful, 

 performed with slow and regular beats of the broad wings, with the neck 

 and legs outstretched. Sometimes the flocks pass over during night, some- 

 times during day ; and when arrived at the end of their journey they do not 

 disperse for some little time. Heuglin says that when on migration the 

 scattered flocks alight on the sand-banks and on the marshes ; they also 

 frequent grain-fields on the steppes, and if alarmed rise en masse with a 

 loud babel of cries. The Demoiselle Crane appears sometimes to perform 

 various grotesque movements, which have not inaptly been termed dancing. 

 These antics are probably connected in some way with pairing, and serve the 

 same purpose as the "lek" of Game Birds. This bird loves to frequent 

 sandy districts, steppes, and extensive sandy plains, even the deserts, where 

 it is said to visit the wells to drink after the cattle have been watered. 



I saw the Demoiselle Crane on the sandy shores of the inland lakes on 

 the Lower Danube. It is a very elegant and slender-looking bird, well 

 worthy of its namesakes before Mrs. Grundy had deformed them with 

 dress-improvers. It was in small parties, which allowed us to approach 

 within long gunshot, when they flew leisurely away, making a cry like 

 krr, very different to the loud trumpet-like note of the Common Crane. 



Its food consists of grain, seeds, shoots of herbage, insects of various 

 kinds, worms, and, it is said, lizards and snakes. They are said to drink 

 very regularly ; and in the evening leave the fields where they have spent 

 the day, and retire to the nearest marshes to roost. 



In the valley of the Lower Danube this Crane commences to make pre- 

 parations for breeding about a fortnight after its arrival. The large flocks 

 break up and separate in pairs, but small flocks are constantly to be seen 

 feeding together during the breeding-season. The nest is always built 

 on the ground, often amongst growing grain of some kind or amongst tall 

 grass in the meadows. It is a very slight structure, the surrounding herbage 

 being generally trodden down and a slight hollow formed, into which are 

 scraped a few straws, and sometimes one or two small stones. t 



