350 Rev. Hubert D. Astley,


red papillose skin, with fine black hairs. A gular pouch of bare

skin, olive green.


It is the only Crane in the whole of Australia. Both male

and female call loudly together, standing with their heads back

and their bills pointed upwards, the male meanwhile drooping

his wings and moving them up and down. The cry is very loud,

and, at a little distance, wild and musical.


Like most of the Cranes, the Australian Native-Companion

is very hardy, and I lost my first old male through his persisting

in standing at night knee-deep in a stream during hard frost,

the consequence being that he was frozen in, and killed himself

in his evidently frantic struggles to be liberated.


Previously he had had one wing amputated at the shoulder,

having been kicked by a horse, in the park, which he had

attacked, his whole wing being completely shattered.


* ■» *

10. The Demoiselle, or Numidian Crane (A?ithropoides


virgo).

The smallest of all the family, and one of the best known.

General colour, pearly grey. Wing feathers (secondaries),

very elongated and pendant, grey with black tips. Tail, dark

grey. Crown of head light grey, the remainder of the head,

throat, and foreneck, slaty black, the feathers of the latter very

elongated. A white tuft of silky white feathers springs from

behind the eyes, and curves downwards on each side of the neck.

Eyes, bright crimson, bill and legs greyish horn colour. Total

length, 33 inches.


The males are usually the largest, and the ear tufts are

longer.


[See Vol. VII., No. 5, March 1901, Avic. Mag., Mr. Lascelles' account of the

nesting of these Cranes in captivity].


Hab. : S.E. Europe and throughout Central Asia to

Mongolia, wintering in N. and N.E. Africa and N.W. India.


A most graceful and tameable bird, as well as perfectly

hardy; thriving best 011 a dry soil. This Crane is imported

in large numbers. In some parts of Europe the eggs are

collected and hatched out under hens. It's cry is a rather

harsh crake, but very musical in the distance.



