PREFACE. 



The story of tWs volume is soon told. On the arrival for the first time in 

 this country of a pair of the beautiful white-naped cranes of Japan, they 

 were drawn by Mr. T. W. Wood for The Field, when Mr. B. Blyth, 

 availing himself of the opportunity, published in the columns of that paper 

 a monograph of all the then known species of the Gruidce. 



These articles were soon exhausted. I thought of reproducing 

 them in a literal reprint, and had proceeded as far as the introduction, 

 when Professor Newton forwarded to me a copy of his article " Crane," 

 in the " Encyclopaedia Britannica." In this he stated " an admirably 

 succinct account of all the different species was communicated by the 

 late Mr. Blyth to The Field newspaper in 1873, which, it is much to 

 be regretted, has not since been published in a more accessible form." 



This opinion confirmed me in my estimation of the worth of the work, 

 and I endeavxDured to render it of more value by the insertion of much 

 matter that limited space had kept out of the original articles, and new 

 information that has appeared since Mr. Blyth's death. Amongst these, 

 I may instance the valuable contributions of the late Col. Tickell on 

 the Indian species, Mr. WoUey's account of the nesting of the common 

 species in Lapland, justly characterised by Professor Newton as "one 

 of the most pleasing contributions to Natural History ever written," Dr. 

 OuUen's account of the nesting of the Demoiselle in Bulgaria, Mr. A. 0. 

 Hume on the Asiatic White Crane, Dr. Cones on the American species, 

 Lieut-Col. Prjevalsky's account of a new species, Mr. Gurney's description 

 of the Southern Crowned Crane, &c., &o. These additions being 

 more than double the amount of the original matter, I have no hesi- 

 tation in placing my own name on the title-page. The added matter, 

 whether in large or small type, is indicated by being placed in square 

 brackets [thus], so that Mr. Blyth's original contributions are easy of 

 identification. 



With regard to the assistance I have received, without which the book 

 would have wanted much of its value, I have to acknowledge my obligations 

 to Mr. P. L. Sclater, who revised the whole of the nomenclature ; to 

 Professor Newton, for the loan of several sterna, and much interesting 

 information respecting them ; to Professor Flower, for the sketch of the 



