166 MR. T. SOUTHWELL ON THE BREEDING OF THE CRANE. 
conclude, that these birds have forsaken our island.” And so this 
noble bird, which had been an inhabitant of Britain from time 
immemorial, became extinct as a resident, the victim probably to 
persecution rather than to natural causes, and we at present know 
it only as a rare and occasional visitor, a mere wanderer to its 
former haunts straying from its accustomed line of migration. 
From the frequency with which Cranes were met with here in 
the months of November and December, at which time one would 
have imagined that they were enjoying the milder climateof Northern 
Africa, the species would seem to have been a winter resident 
in the fens ; but in attempting to form an estimate as to its 
abundance, or otherwise, in Britain in times past, it is well to 
bear in mind that this bird is one of the most typical of migrants, 
and although Willughby writes of the large flocks visiting the 
fens of Lincolnshire about the year 1678 (a statement on which 
I have already commented), these flocks may have consisted merely 
of passing migrants which had halted on their journey south to rest 
and recruit ; on such exceptional occasions, no doubt, considerable 
numbers might have been obtained, thus conveying to us the 
impression that they were exceedingly plentiful, although it may be 
doubted whether such was really the case generally. The visits of 
these flocks would almost certainly be restricted to very limited 
areas in a few favoured localities, thus creating a temporary abun- 
dance, but their stay would probably not be of long duration. 
Those which bred with us would at that time be in solitary pairs, 
arriving in spring and later on departing south, accompanied by 
their young. I doubt, therefore, whether the Crane, except perhaps 
in very remote times, was ever a common bird in Britain, and the 
high price invariably paid for them -would seem to confirm this 
impression. 
With regard to later mention of the Crane it is needful to 
use caution, for, as has been pointed out, it seems to be the fashion 
for an expiring species to bequeath its name to some other that 
more or less resembles it, and it is possible that in some instances 
the Heron may have inherited that of the Crane ; but there is 
generally some circumstance which will enable one to detect this 
substitution, such for instance as the price charged, or the mention 
of both species in the same record, leaving no room for doubt ; but 
in this respect I do not think I have erred. 
