THE CRANE 
Grus communis 
The whole of the body a delicate lilac grey, flight feathers 
dark. Secondary wing-feathers very long, covering with a 
plume-like mass the wings and tail. Sides of face white, as 
are the sides of neck, which is black in front; top of head 
black, the centre of the crown bare of feathers and of a 
brilliant red; beak greenish-yellow; eyes red-brown. Total 
length, 46 inches. 
CRANES will only be seen flying in flocks high in 
air, or. else resting after a day’s flight on some 
sandbank by the river-side. As soon as they have 
rested, fed, and refreshed themselves, they are up 
and away again, and, as far as I know, they do not 
now remain anywhere in Egypt a day longer than 
is necessary. They are as rapid in their visits as 
the most scampering of tourists, who only allot so 
many days for a whole continent. But owing to 
the enormous numbers that there are of these 
birds, some of the migrating armies of them may 
be seen either in the autumn when they are all 
going due south, or on the break-up of the winter 
when they are all going due north. It seems 
strange that they should get so far north as 
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