146 
The Scottish Naturalist, 
Dr. MacRury furnishes the following useful notes on the speci- 
men : length from the tip of the bill to the end of the tail, 49 
inches ; expanse of wing, 84 inches ; from tip of bill to end of 
middle toe, 60 inches ; bill reddish-brown ; a bare space from the 
base of the bill to a line behind the eyes of a red colour; irides bright 
yellow ; legs pink ; primary quills black, but none of these black 
features are to be seen when the bird has its wings folded, when 
it appears entirely white. To these particulars I am able 
to add the following dimensions: culmen of bill, 7 inches; tarsus, 
9 '5 inches; wing (straight from the carpal joint to end of longest 
primary), 21 inches. 
The occurrence in Western Europe of Asiatic species of high 
northern range has, owing to the advancement made during 
recent years in our knowledge on the subject of migration, come 
to be no longer regarded as mysterious or inexplicable. In 
the present instance the occurrence, perhaps, admits of this 
simple explanation, namely, that on quitting its summer haunts, the 
bird winged its way westwards instead of eastwards, with the 
result that it reached the shores of our Western Islands; whereas, 
had it turned to the left and followed an accustomed easterly 
route taken by the peregi:inators of its kind, it would have 
reached the islands of Japan, and proceeded hence to its winter 
retreat. 
The true home of Grus leucogeranus during the summer is the 
northern and central regions of Eastern Asia, and it may also be 
to some extent resident in this vast habitat, for it certainly ap- 
pears, according to our present knowledge of its distribution, to be 
nowhere common or generally distributed during the winter months. 
Its usual winter quarters are said to be the plains of Northern 
India, where, however, it is described as being somewhat local and 
rare. On migration it visits China and Japan ; and though prin- 
cipally a spring and autumn migrant to the islands of the latter 
country, it is considered probable that some may remain to winter. 
This extreme easterly line of migration also indicates, it is thought, 
that there are winter haunts of this species, which are, as yet,, 
unascertained. 
This Crane has, however, occasionally wandered into European 
Russia, most frequently to the districts around the mouth of 
the River Volga ; but it has not hitherto, I believe, been observed 
west of St. Petersburg. 
