822 A PRACTICAL HANDBOOK OF BRITISH BIRDS. 



had on the ground stately but alert attitude and movements, black 

 and white tufts on sides of neck very conspicuous. In flight wings 

 appeared rather round but not broad and of striking pattern, black 

 being divided in middle by broad white band, upper-parts about 

 colour of Short-eared Owl. Flight low and deliberate. (H.F.W.) 



Breeding-habits. — Haunts desert with growth of low bushes. 

 Nest. — Practically none beyond scrape in ground. Eggs.-^-3 or 4, 

 sometimes 2 only, brown with blotches and spots of darker brown. 

 Average of 90 eggs, 62.05x45.07. Max. : 68.7x44.2 and 62.8 X 

 48.7. Min.: 56x46.2 and 57.4x40 mm. Breeding -season. — From 

 1st week April onward through May in Syrian Desert. Incubation. — 

 No details. 



Food. — Insects and vegetable matter chiefly. Insects include 

 orthoptera, coleoptera (Carabus, etc.), lepidoptera larva? (caterpillars 

 of yellow underwing moth), lizards, etc., mollusca (small snails). 

 Vegetable matter includes grass, and leaves and flowers of rag-wort 

 (Senecio aquaticus) in Europe, but in native haunts chiefly leaves 

 and fruits of desert bushes. 



Distribution. — Great Britain. — Four. One Kirton-in-Lindsey 

 (Lines.), Oct., 1847. Male adult near Redcar (Yorks.), Oct. 5, 1892. 

 Male near Spurn (Yorks.), Oct. 17, 1896 (Saunders, p. 527). Female 

 St. Fergus (Aberdeen), Oct. 24, 1898 (Saunders, p. 756). 



Distribution. — Abroad. — From W. Siberia and Turkestan, Balu- 

 chistan, Afghanistan, E. Persia to Syria and Palestine, Trans- 

 caucasia, Khirgiz Steppes and Lower Volga. Migratory, wintering 

 in western India, Arabia ; stragglers have been obtained in many 

 parts of Europe : west Russia, Livonia, Switzerland, Oeland, 

 Finland, Sweden, Germany, Bohemia, Holland, Belgium, France, 

 Italy. Replaced by other forms in northern Sahara and Fuerte- 

 ventura, east Canaries. 



Family BALEARICTD^E. 



The Cranes are huge schizognathous and schizorhine birds 

 Avith long necks and legs. 19-20 cervical vertebra?. No basiptery- 

 goid processes, 11 primaries, 12 rectrices. Aquintocubital, i.e. 

 without 5th secondary quill ; inner secondaries very long, longer 

 than primaries. Oil-gland feathered. Hind toe present. Chick 

 nidifugous. 



Genus MEGALORNIS Gray 



Megalornis Gray, List- Gen. B., 2nd ed., p. 85 (1841- — Monotype M. grus). 

 (Grus auct., but not of Pallas, 1766.) 



Head in adult partially bare of feathers, but more or less 

 thinly covered with short bristles. Small aftershafts. Wings long 

 and wide, 3rd primary as a rule longest. Tail short, rounded to 

 almost square. Bare portion of tibia more than one-third of length 



