ORDER GRALL^ 469 



the middle toe ; the length of the tliumb, which rests several 

 articulations on the ground ; and by the existence of a single 

 coecum. The generic character of Grus are, a bill straight, 

 compressed, little cleft, the point of which is in an elongated 

 cone, and the edges either smooth, or a little emarginated. 

 The upper mandible furrowed on the sides ; the membranous 

 foss of the nostrils wide, and occupying nearly one-half the 

 length of the bill ; the tongue fleshy, broad, and pointed ; 

 the wings composed of twenty-four quills ; the legs scaled or 

 shielded : the external of the three front toes united by its 

 base to the middle; the thumb scarcely touching the ground; 

 the claws short, somewhat obtuse, and none of them denti 

 culated, &c. 



Although the cranes are at once insectivorous and granivo- 

 rous, their habits are more terrestrial than those of the herons, 

 storks, &c., and their aliment, more vegetable, consists in the 

 grains and plants which grow in marshy places, to which they 

 add insects, worms, frogs, and lizards. They are found in all 

 parts of the globe, but a moderate temperature appears to 

 suit them best ; they seek the south in winter, but never fix 

 under the torrid zone, and in summer they prefer the north. 

 We might perhaps generalize more here on this tribe of birds ; 

 but as the majority of observations concerning them have been 

 made upon the common crane, it may be as well to insert 

 what we have to remark in this way, in our account of that 

 species. 



The Agamis, after the example of Pallas, have been 

 placed by M. Cuvier as a subdivision of the head of the 

 cranes. Their generic character consists in a conical, some- 

 what convex, and sharp bill, the upper mandible longer than 

 the lower ; the nostrils oval and very open ; the tongue car- 

 tilaginous, flatted, and fringed at the extremity ; the tarsi ele- 

 vated ; and the lower part of the legs devoid of feathers ; four 

 divided toes, of which the hinder one does not touch the ground. 



It may be remarked, that other authors have placed this 



