7 . 
THE SARUS CRANE 
GRUS COLLARIS 
PLATE VII, Vila. 
La Grue a collier, Buff. Hist. Nat. Ois. VII. p. 307 (1780) — Daubent. PI. Enl. VIII. p. 157 pi. 865 (1783). 
Indian Crane, var. «. Lath. Gen. Syn. III. pt. i. p. 39 (1785). 
Grus COLLARIS, Bodd. Tabl. PI. Enl. p. 52 (1783). 
Ardea ANTIGONE var. jS (Grus torquata), Gm. Syst. Nat. I. p. 622 (1788). 
Grus torquata, Vieill. Nouv. Diet. d’Hist. Nat. XIII. p. 560 (1817) id. Gal. Ois. 11 . p. 142 pi. 256 ([825) — Wagl. Syst. Av. Grus, 
sp. II (1827). 
Grus orientalis, Franklin, P. Z. S. 1831, p. 123. 
Grus antigone (nec Linn.) Sykes, P. Z. S. 1832, p. 157 — Nordm. in D^mid. Voy. Russ. Merid. p. 265 (1840) — Jerdon, Madras 
Journ. XL p. 194 (1840) — Reichenb. Handb. Fulic. pi. CXXIX. figs 1235—1240 (1852) — Irby, Ibis, 1861, p. 242 — Jerdon, B. 
Ind. III. p. 662 (1864) — Schleg. Mus. P.-B., Ralli, p. 3 (1865) — Huxley, P. Z. S. 1867, pp. 430, 457 — Beavan, Ibis, 1868, 
p. 391 — Gray, Handl. B. III. p. 24, n". 10090 (1871) — Garrod, P. Z. S. 1873, pp, 469, 640 — Hayes Lloyd, Ibis, 1873, p.416 — 
Hume, Nests, & Eggs Ind. B. p. 584 (1873) id. Str. Feath. I. p. 234 (1873) — Adam, t. c. p. 395 — Ball, Str. Feath. II. p. 430 
(1874) — Butl. Str. Feath. IV. p. 14 (1876) — Garrod, P. Z. S. 1876, p. 277 — Ball, Str. Feath. VII. p. 227 (1878) — Hume, Str. 
Feath. VIII. p. 112 (1879) — Scully, t. c. pp. 352, 368 — Butl. Cat. B. Sind, Cutch, etc. p. 60 (1879) — Hume & Marh. Game-B. 
Ind. III. p. I pi. I (1880) — Tegetm. & Blyth, Monogr. Cranes, p. 47 (1881) — Reid, Str. Feath. X. p. 67 (1881) — Davidson, t. c. 
p. 319 (1882) — Simson, Ibis, 1882, p. 93 — Forbes, P. Z. S. 1882, p. 352 — Murray, Cat. B. Sind, p. 235 (1884) — Radde, 
Orn. Caucasica p. 391 (1884) — Swinh. & Barnes, Ibis, 1885, p. 133 — Oates & Hume’s Nests & Eggs Ind. B. III. p. 372 (1890). 
Grus torquata. Gray, List Grail. Brit. Mus. p. 75 (1844), id. Gen. B. III. p. 552 (1845) — Reichenb. Handb. Fulic. taf. CXXVII. 
fig. 428 {1852). 
Antigone antigone. Bp. Consp. II. p. 100 (1854). 
Antigone torquata, Reichenb. Handb. Spec. Orn. p. XXIII. (1852) — Bp. Compt. Rend. XXXVIII. p. 661 (1854) — Gray, Cat. 
Mamm. &c. Nepal Pres. Hodgson, p. 71 (1863). , 
Antigone collaris, Sharpe, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. XXIII. p. 262 (1894). 
Vernacular names. The White-collared Crane (English); de Ringkraan (Dutch); la Grue a collier (French); der 
Halsband Kranich (German); Saras (Indian). 
Adult General colour nearly uniform bluish grey. Primaries darker grey, outer secondaries ashy grey on the outer 
webs, lighter on the inner. Inner secondaries slightly elongated and lanceolate but not decomposed, and almost pure white, 
like the greater coverts which are, however, a little more grey. Neck all round below the featherless portion, pure white 
forming a broad collar. Head and upper part of neck devoid of feathers except at the ears which are covered by a patch 
of ashy grey feathers. Skin on forehead and crown naked and of a pale ashy green. Rest of head, and featherless part 
of neck scarlet red and papillose. Upper throat down to about halfway the naked part of it, densely covered with black 
hairs, so as to form a short beard which is especially prominent in the male. Iris brownish )?ellow. Bill greenish horn 
colour. Legs bluish pink. (From a living bird in the Zoological Gardens of Amsterdam). Wing 27', tail 9*', tarsus 12J-', 
middle toe & claw. 5|, culmen 6|', (specimen in the Leiden Museum). 
hmnature. Brownish grey, edges of feathers, especially those of the upper parts cinnamon brown, the down still 
adhering to the feathers. Head and upper part of the neck, ivhich are naked in the adults, covered with brown feathers. 
At this stage the tarsus, which is about 13 inches in length in the adult is only 9 inches long. (The figure plate VID 
is from a specimen in the Leiden Museum). 
7 
