SIBERIAN CRANE. ZO 



its being possible for me to kill it, owing to its extreme 

 caution in keeping out of gunshot. I saw this bird 

 for the first time on the 6th. (18th.) of July, 1855, 

 on a bare sand-bank of the River Amoor, in the 

 neighbourhood of Gorin. I recognised it by its large 

 size, much surpassing that of the Great White Heron, 

 and by its conspicuous white plumage. As I tried to 

 steal towards it, it took a Ipng step away, and then 

 stood still again. After a short interval it flew away, 

 with loud cries, like that of a Swan. Another time, 

 on the 15th. (27th.) of September, I saw three of these 

 birds on the shallow shores of an island on the lower 

 part of the Amoor, near Ischelmok. Again the size 

 left me no doubt about the bird at which I was 

 looking. They flew off before the boat came within 

 gunshot, with loud cries, and soared away high up in 

 the air, but they again dropped down when we went 

 away." 



As this Crane, according to Pallas, is observed 

 throughout the whole of Siberia, and is also found on 

 the Lena, in the Dauria, in China, and Japan, Dr. 

 Schrenck very justly remarks, so it is most probably an 

 inhabitant of Amoor-Land. 



It does not appear to get any tamer in India, where 

 it is also found, for Captain Irby tells us, ("Ibis, vol. 

 iii, p. 243,) that although he saw it on four different 

 occasions at Sandea, in February, and at Hilgra, on 

 the River Choka, in December, 1859, he could not 

 get within shot. 



I think I cannot give a better reason for my not 

 being able to give the figure of a skin of this bird, ■ 

 and for availing myself of Mr. Gould's friendly per- 

 mission to copy the beautiful drawing in his work on 

 the "Birds of Europe." 



