666 BIRDS OF INDIA. 



feathered ; the feathers of the neck and breast lanceolate and 

 hackled. Of smaller size, and the neck less lengthened than in the 

 previous species. 



866. Anthropoides Virgo, Linn^us. 



Ardea, apud Linn^-us — Blyth, Cat. 1617 — Jerdon, Cat. 299 

 — La Demoiselle, Buffon PI. Enl. 241. — Karkarra, H., also 

 Karronch — Karra, Beng. — Karkoncha, Can., — Wada-koraka, Tel. 



The Demoiselle Crane. 



Descr. — Forehead, face, sides of head, neck, and the lengthened 

 breast plumes, black ; a tuft of white decomposed feathers extend- 

 ing backwards and outwards from the eye ; the general plumage 

 fine purplish grey ; quills black ; the greatly elongated tertiaries and 

 scapulars dusky slaty, drooping. 



Bill greenish at the base, yellowish in the middle, and inclining 

 to pink at the tip ; irides fine ruby red ; legs black. Length about 

 30 inches ; extent 5 feet; wing 19 inches ; tail 6^ to 7 ; bill at 

 front 2f T) ; tarsus 6£. Weight about 6lbs. 



Young birds have no black, and want the white ear-tuft. 



This beautiful Crane is found throughout the greater part of 

 India, is more rare in the extreme South, and is never seen in 

 Malabar, nor in Lower Bengal : one writer says that it is never 

 met with below Dinapore. It is a cold weather visitor generally, 

 only coming in late in October, and its arrival, like that of the 

 last, is hailed with joy as a sure sign that the cold weather is 

 indeed come. It associates in numerous flocks, from fifty to five 

 hundred, and chiefly frequents the vicinity of rivers, as it 

 invariably, according to my own experience, betakes itself during 

 the heat of the day to rivers to drink and rest, and never to 

 tanks or jheels, as the Sarus and common Crane do. One writer 

 however states that he has seen and shot them in a jheel. It 

 is very destructive to grain fields, especially to wheat in Central 

 India, and to chenna (Cicer arietinum) in the Deccan. They 

 fly with great regularity, either in a long continuous line, 

 or in a double wedge-shaped line, and then utter their fine 

 clanging note frequently. 



The Demoiselle Crane breeds on the ground in Northern 

 Asia, laying two olive grey eggs speckled with rufous. The 



