340 



September. The peasantry in Skane have an old proverb to the effect that the Crane arrives 

 always on the third Thursday in "Thor's" month (March), which runs as follows: — " Tredje 

 Thorsdagen i Thor, satter Tranan sin fot pa Sveriges jor " (on the third Thursday in Thor the 

 Crane sets his foot on Swedish soil). This (calculated after the old style) would, Nilsson says, 

 make the date of its arrival early in April, which is about the true time of its arrival. Nilsson 

 states that it breeds even in the south of Sweden, in the marshes of Smaland, and in Skane on 

 the borders of Blekinge. Regarding its .breeding in Lapland the excellent notes published by 

 the late Mr. Wolley are given below. In Finland it is by no means uncommon in the far north ; 

 and I met with it near Uleaborg, Kemi, and Tornea, and obtained the eggs at Ija, where a few 

 pairs always breed. When travelling northwards early in April large flocks were seen migrating 

 in that direction, their clear loud trumpet-like note being heard before the birds themselves were 

 seen. A. von Nordmann states that a considerable number breed on the large morasses in 

 Nurmis, northern Karelen ; and Professor Malmgren writes to me that it breeds all over the 

 country, excepting the south-western portions, from lat. 60-g° to lat. 68J°. 



It is common in Northern Russia ; and Mr. Sabanaeff informs me that in Central Russia the 

 Crane is found wherever there are large wooded swamps, and consequently it is more numerous 

 in the Governments of Twer, Jaroslaf, and Wladimir than in any of the southern Governments. 

 In the south-eastern Governments it is met with more often; but in the southern and south- 

 western portions it is migratory. In the north it is, again, rare, although it was found as far as 

 North Karelen and Archangel, and in the Northern Ural nearly as high as 68° north lat. But 

 the Crane seldom builds in the Bogoslofsky Ural, notwithstanding the numerous suitable 

 localities. In Central Russia it generally breeds in the densely wooded swamps, on hillocks, 

 beyond the Ural Mountains in large swamps overgrown with wood and bushes, and there builds 

 a very large nest, constructed chiefly of reeds. After the breeding-season is over they seldom 

 remain in the swamps, but go there for the night, during the day-time frequenting meadows and 

 ploughed fields. It is especially destructive to oats and peas. In the spring it picks up and eats 

 the corn that is sown. The spring migration generally lasts a shorter time than that in the autumn. 

 In South-western Russia the migration commences about the middle of March, and ends about the 

 10th of April; the autumn migration lasts from the middle of August very nearly to the middle 

 of October. In Central Russia and in the Government of Perm the first Cranes do not appear 

 before the 20th of March, generally in the first days of April, and the migration lasts till the 

 middle or even to the 20th of April. The departure commences from the 20th of August (in 

 1869 the 8th of August), and sometimes lasts till the beginning of October; but generally it is 

 over by the last days of September. In the middle of April they are sitting ; and I found their 

 eggs about the 20th of May. In the beginning of July the young are able to fly, and assemble in 

 flocks. Mr. Taczanowski informs me that " the Crane is common enough in Poland, and breeds 

 there in large or less numbers. Besides, I have on several occasions observed bands which during 

 the breeding-season were scattered over the wild marshes in the Government of Lublin and 

 in Volhynia, and which by their actions appeared to be young birds, which do not breed 

 in their second year. According to Professor Kessler the Crane is just as common in the 

 districts of Kieff. It is also very common in Eastern Siberia, and does not differ in any way 

 from the European bird." Meyer records it as common in Livonia, arriving in April and leaving 



