GRUIDiE — THE CRANES — GRITS. 
403 
shore to the very tops of the wooded mountains. Gosse esteemed it the best wild-fowl 
of the country. 
Mr. W. T. March, of Spanishtown, Jamaica, furnishes the following full and 
particular account of its habits : — 
“ The Clucking-hen appears more closely allied to the Land than it is to the Water Birds. It is found 
in all parts of the island, and is now very common in the lowland districts of the South Midland parishes, 
along gully courses, and near wet, marshy lands. It is often seen and heard in the driest seasons about the 
gullies in the vicinity of Spanishtown. It roosts on trees and breeds on the ground, like the Common 
Fowl — in the lowlands, usually in Penguin fences. It lays eight or more eggs, and these measure 2} by 
1| of an inch ; the ground-color rufous, splashed at the large end with small burnt-ochre spots ; and 1 
have had eggs taken from April to November. The flesh is tender and well flavored, but a strong preju- 
dice exists against it from the prevailing, though 1 believe erroneous, opinion that it feeds on snakes and 
lizards. I have never found in its stomach any other food than snails, slugs, portions of small crabs, and 
wood-worms (HallandJa xialmaria) . The junks of snakes referred to by Robinson were probably large 
slugs. One of my collectors, however, assures me that he has found a young snake and lizards in them ; 
and a young sjtortsman lately told me, in support of his assertion that it does not confine itself to the food 
I have mentioned, that whilst beating up a gully-course he shot a White-belly Dove, and that as soon as 
the bird fell to the ground, and notwithstanding the report of the gun, a Clucking-hen deliberately came 
down the bank and endeavored to carry off the Dove. It feeds late and early, and has been considered a 
night-feeder. I have often heard that the Arami are to be seen on moonlight nights stalking about the 
water-flashes at Papage Fort and Great Salt Pond, feeding on the small crabs and snails abounding at cer- 
tain seasons in those localities ; but from my own observations I believe the birds thus seen were Night 
Herons. Another opinion which I believe to be erroneous is, that it broods like the Barn-door Fowl. The 
foot of this bird does not, however, seem to be very well adapted to scratching the ground, the bill 
appearing more useful in securing and preparing the food it lives on.” 
An egg of this species in the Smithsonian Collection (No. 8521) has a rounded oval 
shape, one end being only very slightly less rounded than the other. It measures 2.20 
inches in length by 1.55 in breadth. Its ground-color is a dark grayish white with 
a light wash of sepia, and marked with a few scattered blotches of a darker sepia. 
Over the extreme of the larger end these are more marked and numerous, and nearly 
cover it. This egg was procured in Cuba by Dr. Gundlach. 
Family GRUIDIE. — The Cranes. 
The diagnosis of this family has already been given on page 350. The species 
are all of very large size, and inhabit grassy plains as well as marshes. The bill is 
moderately long ; the nostrils broad and pervious, the nasal groove extending but 
little beyond them. The legs are long, but the toes are short ; the hind toe is very 
short and much elevated, the claw scarcely touching the ground. 
The genera are few in number, but one, Grus, belonging to North America. 
Genus G-RUS, Pallas. 
Grus, Pall. Misc. Zool. 1766, 66 (type, Ardea grus, L.). 
Char. Bill lengthened, straight, the upper mandible only slightly decurved at the extreme 
tip ; the commissure and other outlines straight. Nasal groove very large and open, extending 
over the basal two thirds of the bill. Nostrils broadly open, pervious ; the anterior extremity half 
way from the tip of bill to eye. The upper half of the head naked, warty, but with short hairs. 
Legs much lengthened ; toes short, hardly more than one third the tarsus. Inner toe rather 
