NORTH AMEBICAN MARSH BIRDS 229 



North, as if glad to escape from the dreary regions of their nativitj', sporting 

 dreadful revelry among the forests and glades. The ducks and geese have already 

 reached the waters of the western ponds; here a swan or two is seen following 

 in their train, and as the observer of nature stands watching the appearances and 

 events of this season of change, he hears from on high the notes of the swiftly 

 traveling but unseen whooping crane. Suddenly the turbid atmosphere 

 clears, and now he can perceive the passing birds. Gradually they descend, 

 dress their extended lines, and prepare to alight on the earth. With necks out- 

 stretched, and long bony legs extended behind, they proceed, supported by wings 

 white as the snow but tipped with jet, until arriving over the great savannah 

 they wheel in their circling flight, and slowly approach the ground, on which 

 with half-closed wings, and outstretched feet they alight, running along for a few 

 steps to break the force of their descent. Reader, see the majestic bird shake 

 is feathers, and again arrange them in order. Proud of its beautiful form, and 

 prouder still of its power of flight, it stalks over the withering grasses with all the 

 majesty of a gallant chief. With long and measured steps he moves along, his 

 head erect, his eye glistening with delight. His great journey is accomplished 

 and being well acquainted with a country which has often been visited by him 

 he at once commences his winter avocations. 



Mr. Seton, in his notes for October 11, 1907, made on the Atha- 

 baska River, writes: 



This morning, besides honkers (Canada geese) and waveys (snow geese), we 

 heard the glorious trumpeting of the white crane. It is less of a rattling croak 

 and more of a whoop or trumpet call than the note of the brown crane. Bela- 

 lise (the Indian guide) says that every year a few come to Fort Chipewyan, then 

 go north with the waveys to breed. In the fall, they come back for a month 

 and linger on the great marshes about Fort Chipewyan. They are usually in 

 flocks of three or four, two old ones and their offspring of the year. If you get 

 the two old ones, the young are easily killed, as they keep flying about low over 

 the place where the parents fell. 



Winter. — The winter range of the whooping crane formerly ex- 

 tended east to Florida, but the remnants of the race, now left, spend 

 the winter in the great wild fowl sanctuaries of the Louisiana coast, 

 on the open coastal prairies of Texas or in Mexico. It is a very 

 rare bird even here and is restricted to a few favored localities where 

 it is not disturbed. 



On the King Ranch, in Kleberg County, Texas, about 30 miles 

 southwest of Corpus Christi, is a large shallow lake, known as Lag- 

 una Larga. This is a famous resort for wild-fowl in winter, particu- 

 larly snow geese and Hutchins geese. Every winter for a number 

 of years a few whooping cranes have frequented this vicinity and 

 have been observed by several good ornithologists. Mr. Richard 

 M. Kleberg, one of the owners of the ranch, an educated gentleman 

 and a student of natural history, told Herbert W. Brandt, in 1919, 

 " that there are now 10 whooping cranes on the place and they grew 

 from a flock of 3, all breeding here in the wild stretches along the 

 coast." Apparently there is no positive evidence of their breeding 

 there, but some of the birds remain there all through the year and I was 



