CLVI. 

 GRUS CINEREA. 



Crane. 



For this large and conspicuous egg I am indebted to 

 the kindness of my friend Mr. James Tuke, of York, who 

 spares neither trouble nor expense to make his collection 

 of eggs as complete as possible. 



Whilst the habit and nidification of the Crane resembles 

 closely that of the Stork, the Herons, and other allied 

 species, its eggs are strangely different from any of them. 

 The eggs of all these species, with the exception of those 

 of the Spoonbill, are only sometimes tinted with colour, 

 and always spotless ; those of the Crane are, on the con- 

 trary, richly coloured, and very nearly resemble the eggs 

 of the larger species of Gulls. 



The Crane breeds in low and swampy districts, and, 

 like the Stork, makes a large and bulky nest of sticks, dried 

 grass, and any soft materials; like it, too — so Mr. Yarrell 

 tells us — it sometimes elevates its nest on the top of some 

 old building, and is said to lay but two eggs. 



It is a little singular that the Crane, the Stork, and the 

 Herons should each, at times, choose such very opposite 

 situations for their nests. All are known to breed upon 

 the ground — the Heron seldom, — and all make choice of 

 more elevated sites as well. 



