NUMIDIAN CRANE. 31 



the Common Crane in colour and shape. I copy the 

 following on the subject from Biideker's work on 

 European eggs: — "The Numidian Crane, whose true 

 home is in Asia and Africa, is also found in the south 

 of Russia, the Crimea, and neighbourhood of the Black 

 Sea and the Volga. It breeds in broken places of the 

 high steppes, and upon the islands in great swamps. 

 It builds its nest in the same manner as our Common 

 Crane, and, like it, lays only two eggs, which are also 

 very similar, both in form and colour and markings, to 

 those of its congeners. They are, however, smaller. 

 We possess a solitary example of a dark olive green 

 colour, slightly marked with brown spots. It is very 

 similar to a Bustard's egg in colour, but has the 

 characteristic shell of the Crane. These eggs also 

 become varied by both species interbreeding." It builds 

 in the Crimea, where, in fact, it is stated by Pallas to 

 be the Crane of the country. 



My figure of the egg is taken from a specimen 

 kindly sent me by Mr. Tristram. It is smaller, but in 

 every other respect like that of Grus cinerea, a strong 

 reason why we should hesitate to sejiarate the birds 

 genetically. 



The adult male has the crown of the head ash-colour; 

 the rest of the head, upper part of the neck behind, 

 and the throat black. The lower part and sides of the 

 neck, the back, rump, crop, abdomen, and flanks, ash 

 grey, the scapularies, upper and lower wing and tail 

 coverts being of the same colour. From the j)osterior 

 angle of each eye is suspended a small plume of white 

 feathers, of about three inches and a half long, very 

 flexible, which hang behind, and move with each 

 movement of the bird's head. The bottom of the in- 

 ferior part of the neck is covered with black feathers. 



