412 ALECTOEIDES. 



at the time a young bird nearly ready to be hatched out. Mr. Kuuilien wrote me 

 in October, 1851 : " This Crane, called here the Sandhill Crane, is larger than the 

 Grus cinerea of Europe, but resembles that bird very much. It is quite common here, 

 but is the only Grus we have. It has both the color and the notes of the European 

 cinerea. It is very shy. The people here — that is, the Americans — consider it good 

 to eat. It nests in the marshes late in March and early in April." 



Another e^g (No. G53), laid in confinement in a private garden at Niagara Falls, 

 in 18o2, has a light gray ground. The markings are of sepia, few, faint, and scattered, 

 except about the larger end, where they form a confluent patch. A few blotches are 

 of a faint purplish tint. This egg measures 3.80 by 2.40 inches. 



A third from Cuba — sent me by Dr. Gundlach — was found by him among the 

 mountain marshes of that island. It closely resembles No. 653, except that the spots 

 are all quite small and rounded in shape, and nowhere confluent. This egg measures 

 3.72 by 2.39 inches. 



The smaller northern form {Grus canadensis) h.as a history so blended with that of 

 the more common and larger races of the south, that it is now somewhat diflicult to 

 separate that which pertains especially to each species. This bird was first described 

 by Mr. Cassin from a single young specimen that had been obtained in October, 1853, 

 near Albucpierque by Dr. H. B. jNIollhausen. It was next mentioned by Mr. B. E. 

 Eoss, on the authority of Captain Blakiston, as an inhabitant in the summer of the 

 west side of the Eocky Mountains. 



Mr. Dresser was confident that he had noticed this species several times near San 

 Antonio and once near the Eio Nueces, and he regarded it as a species of not uncom- 

 mon occurrence in Southern Texas. He also claims to have secured a single example 

 which had been shot near San Antonio, and preserved for him by Dr. Heermann. It 

 was the only specimen that could be procured, as the birds were very wary and 

 diflicult of approach. 



Both Mr. Bannister and Mr. Dall met with and refer to individuals belonging to 

 this species which, at the time, they supposed to belong to the canadensis. Mr. 

 Bannister found it common in the marshes of the Island of St. Michael's and the 

 neighboring mainland ; and Mr. Dall, always supposing it to be the canadensis, 

 states that it is a common bird at St. Michael's, as well as at the mouth of the Yukon 

 Eiver, but that it is rare in the interior, and not often seen at Nulato. It is called 

 by the Indians " Teltintla ; " and by them the young of this species is often domes- 

 ticated, as these birds become very tame, and eat up the vermin and insects, as well 

 as scraps of food about their camps. Mr. Dall adds that the young are downy until 

 their first moult, when the red appears very much as it does in the young Turkey. 

 Mr. Dall obtained the eggs of this species June 17th on the Yukon Eiver. They had 

 been laid in a small depression in the sandy beach, without any attempt at a nest. 

 The flesh Avhen well cooked is eatable, but to Mr. Dall's taste is rather strong. The 

 fibula of this bird is among the Indians and trappers a favorite substitute for a pipe- 

 stem. 



Mr. E. Adams (" Ibis," 1878) mentions the arrival of this Crane on the shores of 

 Norton Sound, Alaska, with the earliest of the Geese in the beginning of May ; and 

 by the middle of the month the whole of the marshes were alive with these birds, and 

 their noisy croakings were to be heard in every direction, especially about the exten- 

 sive marshes on both sides of the river. Their nests were placed about the dry knolls 

 in the marshes, and they had eggs before the end of May. 



Captain Blakiston states that this species arrives on the Saskatchewan Plains in 

 large numbers in April from the south, and in the beginning of May he met with its 



