1904.] THE croavjSteb cranes. 201 



follows the curve of the orbit, is characteristically white in the 

 adult, but may be slightly suffused with pink, as in one of the 

 specimens at the Gardens. Even in that case, however, and in 

 dried specimens from which the colour has faded, the two areas 

 are clearly marked off from one another. The pendent neck- 

 wattle is very large and bright red. The beak is black, and, as 

 in all the others, the part of the head not occupied by the crown 

 is covered with a dense velvety black patch of feathers. The 

 characteristic " crown " in all the species is composed of erect, 

 bristle-like feathers, each of which has a spiral twist. The crown 

 is golden or straw-coloured, but in this species each bristle is 

 tipped with black, and the black often extends a considerable 

 way down the bristles, darkening the crown. On the surface of 

 the skull, in the temporal region, is a pair of very strong bony 

 knobs, described by Mr. Beddard (Proc. Zool. Soc. 1904, vol. ii. 

 p. 131). 



This species is widely distributed in South Africa and extends 

 a considerable way northwards in East Africa. Reichenow {loc. cif. 

 p. 266) gives its northern range as ceasing with the Pangani 

 Kiver, near Zanzibar. Mr. 0. W. Hobley, however, tells me that 

 a Crowned Crane is abundant in Uganda, and has kindly given 

 me the head of a specimen from Kavirondo. This undoubtedly 

 is that of the Cape Crane. Mr. Ogilvie-Grant was kind enough 

 to show me a fine skin from a similar locality which was also that 

 of B. regioloricm, so that a much moi-e northern range must be 

 associated with this species. 



Balearica gibber ic&ps Reich. — This species is certainly closely 

 allied to B. regidorum, and Reichenow in his most recent work does 

 not regard it as more than a variety. I have seen neither living 

 examples nor skins, but reproduce here (text-fig. 38, p. 202), by 

 Dr. Reichenow's kind permission, the figure of the head published 

 in his work ' Deutsch-Ost-Afi-ika,' Vogel, p. 47. The neck- 

 wattle is large as in the species just described, and the general 

 coloration of the head, neck, and back is similar. The striking 

 difference is the extension foi-wards and upwards of the bare 

 cheek-patch on either side, so as to invade the black velvety 

 patch in a rounded knob-like process. Various localities are 

 given for this species in the region extending northwards from 

 the Pangani River towards Uganda, but some of these seem 

 ascribed to it on the supposition that the Cape Ci'owned Crane 

 does not extend northwards of the Pangani. It appears, however, 

 that the two species overlap, and further specimens of B. gib- 

 hericeps and information about its exact distribution and I'elation 

 to B. regulorum are much to be desired. It is with the hope of 

 obtaining these that I have copied Reichenow's figure and borrowed 

 from his description. 



Balearica pavonina (L.). The West- African Crowned Crane. — 

 I have seen seven living specimens and several skins of this 

 species. Five of the living specimens are at present in the 

 Gardens — thi'ee brought from Nigei'ia by Lt.-Col. Jackson, one 



