Introduction. 9 



distance. Ifc appeared to stretch its head upwards like the ostrich to a height of more 

 than four feet, and was uniformly of a pale grey colour like the heron. The name given 

 it by the Arabs was rvMAma : (Journal Euphrates Expedition, i., p. 588). 



In some " Remarks on the Habits, &c.j of Birds met with in Western 

 Texas/' by Col. G. A. M'Oall, Inspector-General U.S. Army, that officer 

 states of the Sandhill Crane, or " Brown Crane " (as he designates it), that : 

 " This crane I found in the Bio Grande from Santa Fe to El Paso, in 

 October; but more particularly between Albuquerque and Sorocco, where, 

 for fifty miles, the land appeared to be covered with them. They filled the 

 corn fields " [i.e., those of maize) " and alighted close to the houses, never 

 being disturbed by the gun:" (Pro. Acad. Nat. Soi. Philadelphia, 1851, 

 p. 223.) Elsewhere, however, that species is just as wary as any of its 

 congeners. 



An established roosting place of the Common Crane during the winter 

 months in Palestine i^thus graphically described by Canon Tristram : 



It was the only species of crane we observed, and that only in winter. At Noladah, 

 about thirty miles west of the south end of the Dead Sea, we chanced to camp close to a 

 roosting place of cranes. Hard work, and I hope a good conscience, made us sound 

 sleepers, else the din of the cranes might have aroused an Ephesian. Towards sunset 

 these large birds began to return homewards, flying in order, like geese, with out- 

 stretched necks, keeping up a ceaseless trumpeting ; but, unlike rooks, they were not 

 all early to bed, for fresh arrivals seemed to pour in for several hours, and the trumpeting 

 continued till morning, with only an occasional lull. The howl of some wandering 

 jackal would rouse the whole camp ; then, after a slight pause, the wail of a hyena 

 evoked a deafening chorus ; and before daylight began an angry discussion, perhaps on 

 the next day's foraging. Parties of some hundreds departed for the south with the 

 dawn ; others remained, possibly to make up for their broken slumbers, till the sun had 

 risen a couple of hours. The roosting place was a group of hillocks, covering several 

 acres, and was covered with the mutings of the birds as thickly as the resort of any 

 sea- fowl. It had evidently been occupied for years. I have no reason to think that this, 

 crane ever breeds in Palestine. We did not meet with the demoiselle (G. virgo), though 

 it ought to occur, being common both east and west : (Ihis, 1868, p. 324). 



Such a scene as was witnessed by Canon Tristram in the instance of the 

 ordinary European species is admirably represented by Joseph Wolf in his 

 illustration of the superb Mantchurian Crane, published in one of his well- 

 known series of " Zoological Sketches," the original of which, with the 

 rest of the series, is exhibited in the picture-room near the Reptile House 

 in the Zoological Gardens. 



There are few birds more readily tameable than the cranes, even when 

 captured in mature plumage. They soon learn to become fearless and 

 familiar, the larger species indeed too much so, as also too aggressive not 

 unfrequently. But they are not generally vicious, except when they have 

 young, and are highly ornamental wherever they have room to display 

 themselves. Mr. Gould gives the following interesting anecdote of the 

 Australian species : 



c 



