THE CRANE. 671 



p.orae lights and a lustrous golden hue in others. The back is grey, the feathers being 

 long and silken and hanging over the wings. The wings, under surface, and tail are 

 black, and the feathers of the tail are soft and short. 



The QAEIAMA is rather larger than the trumpeter, and has many of the same habits. 

 It is chiefly remarkable for the feathery crest on the crown and forehead. 



The Qariama is an admirable runner, getting over the ground with astonishing speed, 

 and turning and twisting with such adroit rapidity that even the admirable horsemen of 

 its native land find it put their skill to the sharpest test. Not until it is quite wearied 

 out, and crouches under a bush or other shelter, does the hunter endeavour to use either 

 rifle or lasso, the two deadly weapons of his land. The walk of this bird is peculiarly 

 bold and easy, its paces are long, its lithe neck moves with every step as it continually 

 turns its little sharp-looking head from side to side, and its Ml intelligent eyes gleam 

 through their heavy lashes as they survey every object within their ken. The eyes are 

 truly beautiful, large, round, and translucent, of a clear pearly grey, with many little 

 dark changing spots, much like the eye of a living dragon-fly. 



It is easily tamed, and soon becomes so attached to its new home that it is accustomed 

 to roam about at will, and to return to its owner like the common fowl. The nest of this 

 bird is placed upon the branches of a rather low tree, it is made of sticks, and generally 

 contains two white eggs. 



The general colour of the Qariama is pale brown, with numerous irregular splashes of 

 dark brown. The crest is always held erect, and the feathers of the forehead project 

 slightly over the beak. The wing is blacker brown than the rest of the body, and is covered 

 with narrow white streaks, dotted with black. The under parts are greyish white, the bill 

 is red, and the legs orange. In total length it measures about thirty-two inches. 



ALTHOUGH in former days tolerably common in England, the CEANE has now, with the 

 bustard, almost disappeared from this land, a single specimen being seen at very long and 

 increasing intervals. In some parts of England and Ireland the popular name of the 

 heron is the Crane, so that the occasional reports which sometimes find admission into 

 local newspapers respecting the Crane have often reference, not to that bird, but to the 

 heron. 



The Crane is found in various parts of the continent of Europe, migrating from place 

 to place, and flying in large flocks at a great elevation in the air. They continue their 

 aerial journeys for great distances, and seldom descend but for the purpose of feeding. 

 When they alight, it is generally on marshy ground, the banks of rivers, or the coasts of 

 the sea, where they can find a bountiful supply of marine and aquatic animals ; and 

 sometimes they are attracted by a field of newly-sown corn, among which they make 

 sad havoc, stocking up the seed with their long bills, or eating the newly sprouted blades. 

 The food of the Crane is various, mostly consisting of worms, slugs, frogs, lizards, newts, 

 and similar creatures ; but the bird will often feed upon grain and the leaves of different 

 plants. 



The voice of the Crane is loud, resonant, and trumpet-like, and has a singular 

 effect when heard from the great elevation at which the bird prefers to fly. The 

 peculiar resonance of the note is caused by a remarkable structure of the windpipe, which 

 is elongated, and instead of running straight down the neck, passes into the breast-bone, 

 lodges between the two plates of bone which form the keel, and, after making some 

 contortions which vary according to the age of the bird, leaves the breast-bone and 

 proceeds as usual to the lungs. 



The Crane makes its nest mostly on marshy ground, placing it among osiers, reeds, or 

 the heavy vegetation which generally flourishes in such localities. Sometimes, howevei 

 it prefers more elevated situations, and will make its nest on the summit of an old deserted 

 ruin. The eggs are two in number, and their colour 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 



