COMMON CRANE. 



525 



red : the breast and all the under parts of the body 

 are similar to the back : the greater wing-coverts 

 are blackish ; and those farthest from the body, 

 with the bastard wing, and quills, black : from 

 the pinion of each wing springs an elegant tuft of 

 loose feathers, curled at the ends, which can be 

 erected at will, but which in a quiescent state 

 hangs over and covers the tail : the beak is greenish 

 black, but of a horn-colour towards the tip, and 

 reddish at the base : the irides are red-brown : 

 the legs black. In very old birds there is a large 

 whitish space behind the eye, and on the lateral 

 part of the top of the neck. The young before 

 their second autumnal moult have the head clothed 

 with down, and the deep dusky patch on the fore- 

 part of the neck and the occiput does not exist, 

 but those parts are spotted longitudinally with that 

 colour. 



This species is abundant throughout northern 

 Europe and Asia: it frequents marshy places, 

 feeding upon seeds and young plants, also worms, 

 frogs, snails, &c. : it is migratory, retiring north- 

 ward in the spring to breed, and in the winter 

 season inhabiting the warmer regions of Egypt 

 and India. It was formerly abundant in England, 

 and formed part of the great feasts of those days, 

 where dozens were served up at a time : Vv ithin these 

 sixty years not more than four or five specimens 

 have been seen in these parts ; the last was shot 

 in Cambridgeshire, above forty years since. It is 

 said to fly remarkably high during its migrations, 

 which are generally performed in the night ; but it 



