GRTTIDJ3. 



91 



Order GEUIFORMES. 



Sub-Order GRUES. 



Family GRUID.E. 



The eggs of the Cranes are generally double-spotted. The shell 

 is very strong, slightly rough, and pitted with small pores. 



Genus GRUS, Pallas. 

 Grus grus (Linn.). 



Grus cinerea, Thien. Fortpflanz. ges. Vdg. tab. Ixxi. fig. 1 (1845-54) ; 

 Baedeker, Eier Ear. Vdg. tab. 13. fig. 1 (1855-63) ; Hewitson, Eggs 

 of Brit. Birds, ii. p. 308, pi. Ixxxi. (1856); Wolley, Ibis, 1859, 

 p. 191 ; Saunders, Ibis, 1871, p. 389 ; Seebohm, Brit. Birds, ii. p. 570, 

 pi. 36 (1884) j id. Eggs of Brit. Birds, p. 155, pi. 46. figs. 1, 3 

 (1896). 



Gnus coinmunis, Dresser, Birds Eur. vii. p. 337 (1873) ; Hume fy Marsh. 

 Game Birds Lid. iii. p. 21 (1880) j Irby, Orn. Str. Gibr. 2nd ed. 

 p. 249 (1895). 



Grus grus, Sharpe, Cat. Birds B. M. xxiii. p. 250 (1894) ; id. Hand-l. i. 

 p. 176 (1899). 



The ej?gs of the Common Crane are of a narrow oval form, but 

 some specimens are equally pointed at both ends. They have a 

 slight amount of gloss. The ground varies from cream- colour or 

 pale buff to olive-buff and pale pinkish buff. In some specimeus 

 the markings are very distinct and well-defined, but in the majority 

 they are smudgy and indistinct. They consist of spots and blotches 

 of various shades of brown, pinkish brown, reddish brown, and 

 underlying pale purple. On a few examples there are also some 

 spots of dark umber-brown at the larger end. The markings are 

 spread over the whole shell, but at the broad end they often become 

 confluent and form, in many specimens, a small but very dense cap, 

 in others an indistinct cap or zone, while in a few examples there 

 are no traces of either, the markings being no denser al that part 

 than elsewhere. The eggs measure from 3*5 to 4'26 in length, and 

 from 2-3 to 2-5 in breadth. 



7. Casas Viejas, Andalusia. May (Col. Seebohm Coll. 



L. H. Irby}. 



3. Casas Viejas (L. H. /.).' Seebohm Coll. 



1. Laguna de la Janda, Spain, April Seebohm Coll. 



(L. H. I.}. 



2. Laguna de la Janda, May (L. H. I.) Seebohm Coll. 

 1. Laguna de la Janda (L. H. I.). Seebohm Coll. 



