436 THE BIRDS OF MONGOLIA ETC. 



the valley of the northern Hoang-ho bend, from the town of Baut as far as 

 the western portion of Mnni-ul. Here these birds occurred tolerably often, 

 singly, in pairs, or small flocks. The birds were flying about the meadows 

 for whole days, hunting for insects, which they principally did about dusk in 

 the evenings. 



The northern bend of the Hoang-ho forms the northern limit of the 

 distribution of this species. 



217. Grus ciNEREA, Bechst. Juravl serey. 



In all the countries we traversed the Crane is only a migrant. Its 

 migration takes place from the end of March until the middle of May ; the 

 autumnal migration occurs in September. In the middle of this month we 

 noticed in Ala-shan passing flocks, which, when tired out, and not finding a 

 suitable resting-place, settled down on the sand, in order to pass the night 

 there and to proceed on their journey next morning. 



In Kan-su we saw, in autumn as well as in spring. Cranes on their 

 passage only once each season (i, e. on the 16th of September, 1872, and on 

 the 20th of April, 1873), and in both cases at the same place, south of the 

 river Tetunga. Our tent there was pitched at an absolute height of 10,600 

 feet; but these birds were flying at such an enormous altitude that they 

 could hardly be seen. During the whole day one flock seemed to follow the 

 other. At Koko-nor they arrived on the 17th of March. 



We did not find Grus cinerea in the Ussuri-country. 



218. Grus nigricollts, n. sp. Juravl chernosheyney, (Plate LV. ix.) 



G. cinerem similis, sed occipite plumoso^ rostro longiore^ capite^ colli dimidio superiore, remigibus 

 omnibus caudaque nigris ; vertice nudo rubro^ pilis sparsis. 



Measurements of a male— length 48'V width 84" ; wing 25"-3 ; tail 9^^-3 ; 

 culmen 4"-8 ; height of bill at the base l"-32, its width 0''-92 ; tarsus 10"-2 ; 



