38 WADING BIRDS. 



The following, elegant poetic description of the annual 

 migration of the Crane of Europe, is perfectly applicable to 

 the instinct of our species : 



Part loosely wing the region, part more wise, 



In common, ranged in figure (> ) wedge their way, 



Intelligent of seasons, and set forth 



Their aery caravan, high over seas 



Flying, and over lands with mutual wing, 



Easing their flight ; so steers the prudent Crane 



Her annual voyage, borne on winds, the air 



Flotes, as they pass, fann'd with unnumber'd plumes. * 



The Whooping Crane is about 4 feet or upwards in length, and 

 when standing erect, measures nearly 5 feet. The bill is wax yellow, 

 6 inches in length, and an inch and a half in thickness. Iris yellow. 

 The forehead, whole crown, and cheeks are covered with a dull 

 orange colored v/arty skin, thinly interspersed with black hairs. 

 Hind head, ash color ; the rest of the plumage pure white, except 

 the primaries, which are brownish black ; from the base of each 

 wing arises numerous large flowing feathers, which project over the 

 tail and tips of the wings, some of them are loosely webbed like the 

 feathers of the Ostrich. The legs and naked part of the thighs are 

 black. The hind toe articulated too high to reach the ground. 



BROWN CRANE. 



(Grus canadensis, T EMM. Bonap. Synops. No. 225. G. fusca, Vieii^l. 

 Ardea canadensis, Forster.) 



Sp. Charact. — Cinereous; wings varied with testaceous; prima- 

 ries brown, with white shafts ; anterior portion of the head bald. 



This species, scarcely inferior to the preceding in mag- 

 nitude, visits all parts of the fur countries in summer, up to 

 the shores of the Arctic sea ; and is indeed, according to 

 the season, spread more or less throughout North America, 



* Milton's Paradise Lost, Book 7, li.ne 425, et seq. 



