230 BULLKTIN 135, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM 



told that they were still there when I visited Texas in 1923. It is of 

 interest to note that they have apparently increased in numbers. Mr. 

 Kleberg says that they are the most wary creatures he has ever tried 

 to approach; one does well if he can come within 300 yards of them; 

 so, as they frequent country which is flat and entirely open, there is 

 not much danger of their being shot. In their winter resorts they 

 can probably survive, but, as they require immense wild tracts of 

 open country in which to breed, it will be necessary to set apart 

 some very large reservations within their breeding range in order to 

 save these magnificent birds from extinction. 



Charles L. Broley writes to me that on September 13, 1925, 

 he saw a whooping crane "at fairly close range at Shoal Lake, 40 

 miles north of Winnipeg. He flew over us leading 28 sandhill 

 cranes." Thus this remnant of a vanishing race, once the proud 

 leader of a mighty host, still retains his place at the head of the 

 trumpeting column. May he lead them on in safety! And may he 

 long survive to perpetuate a noble race of birds ! 



DISTRIBUTION 



Range. — Formerly the central Canadian Provinces, the United 

 States, and Mexico, east rarely to the Atlantic coast. At present the 

 species is almost extirpated and probably breeds only locally in south 

 central Canada. 



Breeding range. — North to Mackenzie (probably Fort Simpson and 

 Fort Resolution) ; Alberta (Fort Chipewyan, Whitford Lake and stony 

 Plain); and Saskatchewan (Qu'Appelle and Yorkton). East to Mac- 

 kenzie (Fort Resolution) ; Manitoba (near Moose Mountain, Shoal 

 Lake, Winnipeg, and probably Fort Churchill); North Dakota (prob- 

 ably Larimoro) ; Minnesota (probably Herman and Mille Lacs) ; and 

 Iowa (Eagle Lake, Dubuque and Midway). South to Iowa (Frank- 

 lin County, Spirit Lake and Midway); probably Nebraska; eastern 

 Montana and Alberta (Whitford Lake). West probably to Nebraska 

 and eastern Montana; Alberta (Whitford Lake, Birch Lake, and 

 Wainwright); and Mackenzie (probably Fort Simpson). 



Winter range. — Gulf coast of the United States and central Mexico. 

 Florida (Hastings and Lee County); Alabama (Dauphin Island and 

 probably Pratt ville); Louisiana (Avery Island and Vermillion Bay); 

 Texas (Harris, Brazoria, Refugio, and probably Tom Green Counties) ; 

 and Mexico (northern Tamaulipas, Guanajuato, and Jalisco). 



Spring migration.— Early dates of arrival are: Arkansas, Corning, 

 April 22, 1914; Missouri, Stotesbury, March 9, 1894, St. Louis, March 

 17, 1884, and La Clede, March 20, 1889; Illinois, Mount Carmel, March 

 6; Indiana, Waterloo, April 4, 1907; Iowa, Indianola, March 18, 1901, 

 Wall Lake, March 21, 1904, Storm Lake, March 22, 1886, Gilbert, 

 March 22, 1891, Emmetsburg, March 23, 1885, Ferry, March 23, 1890, 



