348 



GRALL^, 



Suborder XXVIII. QRALLJE. 



Maxillo -palatines not coalesced with each other across the middle 

 linCj nor with the vomer ; nasals schizorhinal ; dorsal vertehrse hetero- 

 ccelous ; young born not only covered with down, but able to run in 

 a few hours. 



The Grallse may be regarded as almost cosmopolitan, but of the 

 six families which it contains, only two are represented in the Japanese 

 Empire. 



The Turnicidae are a small family (about 25 species), confined to 

 the tropical and subtropical parts of the Old World, one species 

 extending its range in the west into Southern Europe, and another 

 in the east reaching the Loo-Choo Islands. The Pteroclidae are a 

 still smaller family (about 16 species) with a similar range in the 

 west, but in the east not extending beyond the Bay of Bengal, and 

 consequently not reaching Japan. The Rhinochetidae only comprises 

 one species confined to New Caledonia; the Mesitidse one species 

 confined to Madagascar; and the Eurypygidae two species confined to 

 tropical America. The Gruidse are a small family (about 16 species) 

 of which no less than five visit Japan ; two inhabit North America, 

 one Australia, and the rest are either Palaearctic, Oriental, or 

 Ethiopian. 



353. GRUS CINEREA. 

 (COMMON CRANE.) 



Grus cinerea, Bechstein, Naturg. Deiitschl. iv. p. 103 (1809). 



The Common Crane is a grey bird, with the nape, crown, forehead, 

 lores, ear-coverts, chin, and throat black. No other Japanese Crane 

 has a black nape. 



Figures : Temminck and Schlegel, Fauna Japonica, Aves, pi. 72. 



The Common Crane is a winter visitor to Japan. It has not been 

 recorded from Yezzo, and the only authority that I know of for its 



