152 GRUID.?E. 



Order ALECTORIDES. 



Family GRUID^. 

 Genus GRUS, Bechstein, Vog. Deutschl. iii. p. 60 (1793). 



Grus = a Crane, in classical Latin ; atin to yepdvos, gallus, garrio = 

 chatter, &c. 



Grus communis. Crane. 



Grus communis^ Bechstein, Vog. Deutschl. iii. p. 60 



(1793). 

 Ardea Grus, Linnceus, S. N. i. p. 234 (1766). 



Grus cinerea, Naum. ix. p. 345; Macg. iv. p. 30; Hewitson, 

 p. 308; Gray, p. 144; Yarr. ed. 2, ii. p. 501; id. 

 ed. 3, ii. p. 530; Gould, iv. pi. 19; Hurting, p. 54. 



Grus communis. Dresser, vii. p. 337. 



The Common Crane, Yarr. ed. 1, ii. p. 437. 



Com7nunis = common. 



A rare straggler to various portions of the United King- 

 dom, probably from Scandinavia. Has apparently occurred 

 more frequently in Orkney and Shetland than elsewhere in 

 Great Britain. It inhabits the Palsearctic Region, migrating 

 in winter to India and North Africa. 



[Grus Virgo. Deuoisblls Csans. 

 Ardea N \r go, Linnmus, S. N. i. p. 234 (1766). 

 Grus virgo, Harting, p. 146 ; Dresser, vii. p. 353. 



Virgo = a maiden, from the bird's elegant appearance and ' ' dancing " 

 propensity. 



One was shot near Deerness, Kirkwall, Orkney, May 14, 

 1863, where another was seen but not obtained (Zool. 1863, 

 p. 8692) ; these were possibly escaped specimens. Another 

 is said to have been picked up dead near Wincanton, Somer- 

 setshire (Zoologist, 1876, p. 4928). It has a wide range 

 through Africa and Southern Asia, is resident in Southern 

 and South-eastern Europe, and has occurred in Sweden and 

 in Heligoland.] 



