THE GIGANTIC CRANE. 315 



has the top of the head black, without the elongated crest ; the back 

 and the belly rusty-reddish ; the wings grey ; the forehead and rest of 

 the plumage white; and the bill, legs, and feet brown. 



THE GIGANTIC CRANE. 



Tliis is a large species, measuring from tip to tip of the wings nearly 

 fifteen feet. The bill is of vast size, somewhat triangular, and sixteen 

 inches round at the base. The head and neck are naked, except a few 

 struggling curled hairs. The feathers of the back and wings are of a 

 bluish ash-color, and very stout : those of the breast are long. The 

 craw hangs down the fore part of the neck like a pouch. The belly is 

 covered with a dirty-white down ; and the upper part of the back and 

 shoulders is surrounded with the same. The legs and half the thighs 

 are naked ; and the naked parts are nearly three feet in length. 



The Gigantic Crane, sometimes called the Adjutant, is an inhabitant 

 of Bengal and Calcutta, and is sometimes found on the coast of Guinea. 

 It arrives in the interior parts of Bengal before the period of rains, and 

 retires as soon as the dry season commences. Its aspect is filthy and 

 disgusting ; yet it is an extremely useful bird, in consequence of the 

 snakes, noxious reptiles and insects which it devours. It seems to 

 finish the work that is begun by the jackal and vulture: these clear 

 away the flesh of animals, and the Gigantic Cranes remove the bones 

 by swallowing them entire. They sometimes feed on fish ; and one of 

 them will devour as much as would serve four men to dinner. On 

 opening the body of a Gigantic Crane, there were found in its craw a 

 land tortoise, ten inches long, and in its stomach a large black cat. 

 Being altogether undaunted at the sight of mankind, these birds are 

 soon rendered familiar; and when fish or other food are thrown to 

 them they catch them very nimbly, and immediately swallow them. 



The Indians believe that these Cranes are invulnerable, and that 

 they are animated by the souls of the Brahmins. They are held in the 

 highest veneration both by the Indians and Africans. Mr. Ives, in 

 attempting to kill some of them with his gun, missed his shot several 

 times; this the bystanders observed with great satisfaction, telling him 

 triumphantly that he might shoot at them as long as he pleased, but 

 that he would never be able to kill any of them. 



There seems no doubt that this is the species mentioned by Mr. 

 Sineathman, as having been seen by him in Africa. The birds that he 

 describes were at least seven feet high. 



These birds are found in companies ; and, when seen at a distance, 

 near the mouths of rivers, coming towards an observer (which they do 

 with their wings extended), they may be mistaken for canoes on the 

 surface of a smooth sea ; and when stalking about on the sandbanks, 

 they appear like men and women picking up shell-fish on the beach. 



A young bird of this kind, about five feet in height, was brought 

 up tame, and presented to the Chief of the Bananas, where Mr. 

 Smeathman lived ; and in whose house it soon became perfectly fa- 

 miliar. It regularly attended the hall at dinner-time; aud placed 



