506 GRUID.E. 



these illustrations being represented as cut away to show 

 the character and depth of the insertion. 



The usual form of furcula, or merrythought, it will be 

 observed, does not prevail in this bird : it is not here, as in 

 most other birds, a single, slightly-attached bone, but has 

 the point of union of the two branches firmly ossified to 

 the keel, or may be considered as a prolongation of the 

 anterior portion of the keel itself extended to the head 

 of each clavicle, and affording a firm support to the 

 wings. 



In the adult male, the beak is greenish yellow at the 

 base, lighter in colour towards the point ; the irides red ; 

 the forehead, crown, nape, and back of the neck, dark 

 bluish ash ; chin, throat, and front of the neck, of the same 

 dark colour, but descending four or five inches lower in 

 front ; from the eye, over the ear-coverts, and downwards 

 on the side of the neck, dull white ; general colour of the 

 back, wings, rump, tail-feathers, and all the under surface 

 of the body, ash grey ; wing-primaries black ; the tertials 

 elongated, the webs unconnected, and reaching beyond the 

 ends of the primaries. The well known plumes of the 

 Crane are these tertial feathers, with their unconnected 

 webs forming long hair-like filaments, which the bird can 

 elevate or depress at pleasure. They were formerly much 

 worn as ornaments on the head. These and the tail- 

 feathers are varied and tipped with bluish black ; under 

 surface of wings and the axillary plume light grey ; legs 

 and toes bluish black ; claws black. 



The whole length of the bird described four feet. From 

 the carpal joint to the end of the wing, twenty-one inches ; 

 the first quill-feather a little shorter than the fourth, but a 

 little longer than the fifth ; the second and third feathers 

 nearly equal in length, and the longest in the wing. The 



