252 GRUID^E. 



in the direction from which the birds came would have fallen a 

 little to the west of that town. At Adra on the 16th of March, 

 1882, we saw eleven Cranes passing north at a great height. 



In the winter of 1870-71 1 found that Cranes could be easily 

 shot in the evening by waiting for them in the swamps where they 

 resort to pass the night, as they " flight " earlier than Ducks ; 

 and although in the daytime no bird is so wide awake, they are 

 quite stupid in the dusk, flying, if you keep perfectly still, within 

 a few yards. It is, however, a barbarous shame to shoot such a 

 fine and noble bird. Although the Spaniards gladly take them 

 to eat, to my mind their flesh is coarse and worthless ; but in 

 India, where they feed much on grain and on rice-stubbles, they 

 are, on the contrary, much sought after for the table. One or 

 two shot in the evening near Casas Viejas had been eating 

 beetles and insects, which in winter seems their chief food. 

 They do a great deal of damage to beans when ripening and to 

 newly sown grain of all descriptions. 



General colour slate-grey ; inner secondaries bluish black, forming 

 elongated plumes. 



Adults with a red warty patch on crown. In young this is absent, and 

 the grey feathers on back are mixed with brown. Length 48 inches. 



278. Grus virgo (Linnseus). The Demoiselle Crane. 



Spanish. Grulla moruna (Seville). 



The only note which Favier has relative to this handsome 

 Crane is that "it is scarce and seldom obtained near Tangier, 

 passing northwards without making any stay, during March, 

 April, and May." 



Favier's successor at Tangier evidently considered this species 

 a rare bird ; for he asked fifteen dollars (over 3) for a specimen, 

 and at that price it was likely to continue for some time on his 

 hands. He stated that the local name was " Bou-gernan " (father 

 of thistles) ; but if the bird be as rare as Favier implied, how 

 could it bear a local name ? 



