]:-!S WILD LIFE IN CHINA. 



name for this bird \s Ahoti-mciis^cl. the "' Father of the sickle, "' 

 alludint; to the shape of the beak, which recalls that of the 

 curlew. With their long legs, ibises can get over the ground 

 pretty quickly, making at times in their hurry quaint jumps 

 into the air. Once well on the wing they fly well. Their 

 height varies from about two feet to two feet six inches. 



The dark-coloured ibis, a sort of chocolate-brown, 

 sometimes called the Black Ibis, is also known in the Far 

 East, having the technical name of /. firlcinclliis. It is 

 soniew hat smaller than the last-mentioned, and there is more 

 variation in colour between the sexes, as also between 

 parents and young. The glossy ibis, as it is also called, has 

 an extremely wide range, being known from southern Europe 

 to southern .Africa, from .Africa to .Australia, and from 

 Australia through India to China. 



I. Sinensis, our ver\- own ibis, is but a \ariety of /. \'i/j/)on. 

 It li\es and breeds in considerable numbers in some parts 

 of the -northern provinces, coming south with the colder 

 '.veather. Pere David says there are alwa^-s two young ones. 

 Turning to the cranes, we find ourselves fifty per cent, 

 richer in species than was the case with the bii-ds just 

 noticed. Only four species of the ibis are described to six 

 of the crane. There is Grns leucogeranos. the white Siberian 

 crane, G. V//-,i;V) or Xiiniiilica. G. Cinerca. the common gre\- 

 crane, G. ntoiuTchiis. the white-headed crane. G. viftio. and 

 G. viriciirostris. the green-billed. Of all these, the only 

 specimens in the Shanghai .Museum are the last-named, 

 and the white-headed, of which there are three. 



Gnis Jeticoiicranos. the white crane, is a \er.\- fine bird. 

 With the exception of some of the primaries the whole 

 plumage is a pure snowy white, the long wing feathers being 

 ajet black, and so forming, when outspread, astrikingcontrast. 

 Atuftof delicate white feathers hangs pendent from the breast. 

 The only colours visible are the red legs and the same tint 

 shown on the bare patches round the eyes. .\s the true 

 home of this magnificent bird is Siberia, though it is said to 

 migrate at times to India, we do not see them as a rule in 

 this neighbourhood, though the\- are known in the more 

 northern portions of the country. The male stands nearlx- 

 four feet in height. 



.About the same height stands the green-billed crane of 

 which we ha\e a specimen. He gets his name from the 

 verdant tinge seen in his mandibles, but his main plumage. 

 as in the Siberian bird, is white, though there is a greyish 

 ashen tinge on the neck, and the legs and feet are black. 



G, )'/r,i,'o, the Demoiselle, or Xumidian crane, is of darker 

 tint, and is remarkable over and above that for its more 

 graceful shape. It is, indeed, difficult to imagine gi-eatei- purit\- 



