ANTHKOPOlDESt, 



237 



GrUS Oinerea, Bechsl; P. E. 769 ', Gould. B. Eitr. pi. 270; Jerd. B. 

 Ind. iii. 866; Str. F. i. 235; W. 15; Murray, Hdbk., Zool., Sfc, Bind, 

 p. 213 {Koonj, Sind). — The Common Ceane. 



Forehead to the middle of the crown covered Vfith black hairy down, 

 through which the red skin shows ; behind this nearly bare and entirely 

 so for about two inches on the nape, which is ash grey ; chin, throat 

 and foreneck black ; a broad v/hite streak from behind the eye, extend- 

 ing along the back of the neck from below the nape and partly on the 

 sides ; lores and cheeks black ; upper and lower surface of the body 

 dark bluish ashy ; greater wing-coverts dull black ; secondaries and 

 tertiaries grey and tipped with black, the latter in texture resembling 

 the plumes of the ostrich, narrowing to a point, forming an elegant 

 tuft of loose feathers, curled at the ends and falling gracefully over the 

 tail ; legs and bare part of the thighs black ; bill greenish brown at 

 the basej tinged blackish in the middle, with the tip dark horny ; 

 irides yellowish, orange red or reddish brown in some. 



Length. — 43 to 46 inches, wing about 24, tail 7, tarsus 8' 75 to 9, 

 bill 4-3 to 4-8. 



Hab. — Europe, India, N. Africa. In India it is a winter visitant 

 everywhere. Besides occurring in Sind, it is recorded from Rajputana, 

 Eutch, Kattiawar, Deccan, N. Guzerat, Eajputana, Central India, 

 Khandeish, Punjab, N. W. Provinces, Oudh and Bengal. It has also 

 been found in Afghanistan, Beloochistan and Persia. 



When feeding the Common Crane has always a sentinel posted to 

 give the alarm of danger, and hence it is extremely difficult to get within 

 gun-shot of the flock. The ordinary procedure is to walk alongside^ 

 a bullock or horse, as if passing by them, and to fire immediately they, 

 rise; a duck gun with large shot usually brings down 2 or 4 out of a 

 flock. In Sind and probably in other parts of India too, the food of this 

 Crane consists of grain of all kinds ; when in large parties they commit 

 great havoc in wheat fields. 



Gen. Anthropoides.— Fie/Z, 



Bill shorter than in Grus ; head and neck feathered ; breast feathers 

 lanceolate and hackled j tarsi long. 



Anthropoides VirgO, Linn.-, P. E. 241 ; Edw. B. pL 134; Jerd. 

 B. Ind. iii. p, 666; Murray, Hdbk., Zool., Sfc, Sind. — The Demoisellb 

 Ceane, 



Forehead, lores, sides of the face, chin, throat, neck in front, and 

 breast plumes deep black ; ear tufts white, issuing from behind the 

 eyfej primaries black; secondaries grey, black tipped; back, scapulars, 

 tertials, upper tail-coverts and entire lower surface pale blue grey; 

 tertials elongated and drooping over the primaries and tail feathers, 

 most of them with a broad black tip. 



Length. — 31 to 85 inches, wing 19 to 20 or more, tail 6 to 7*5, 

 tarsus 7, bill from gape 2'7 to 3'05, tertiaries project about '6 inches 

 beyond the primaries. 



