AVES— CRANE. 



625 



rous as she retires from the nest. If very near, she appears altogether 

 unconcerned ; and her cries cease in proportion as her fears are augmented. 

 When approached by dogs, she flies heavily, at a little distance before them, 

 as if maimed ; still vociferous, and still bold, but never ofiering to move 

 towards the quarter where her young ones are stationed. The dogs pursue, 

 in expectation every moment of seizing the parent, and by this means actu- 

 ally lose the offspring ; for the cunning bird, having thus drawn them off" to 

 a proper distance, exerts her powers, and leaves her astonished pursuers to 

 gaze at the rapidity of her flight." The lapwing may be domesticated, and 

 it then becomes uncommonly familiar and confiding. 



THE CRANEi 



Is a tall, slender bird, with a long neck and long legs. The top of the head 

 is covered with black bristles, and the back of it is bald and red, which suf- 

 ficiently distinguishes this bird from the stork, to which it is very nearly 

 allied in size and figure. The plumage, in general, is ash colored ; and there 

 are two large tufts of feathers that spring from the pinion of each Aving. 



> Grus cinerea, Bechst. The genus Grus has the bill as long as, or longer than the 

 head, strong, straight, compressed, o})tuse towards the tip; lateral base of tlie mandible 

 deeply sulcated ; ridge eleyated ; nostrils in the middle of the liill closed behind by a 

 membrane; region of the eyes and liase of the bill naked and papillous, or covered with 

 feathers; leK long, with a large naked space above the knees; the middle fore toe united 

 to the outer by a rudimentary membrane, the inner divided ; hind toe articulated higher on 

 «he tarsus. 



79 53 



