NORTH AMERICAN MARSH BHIDS 235 



wrougly identified eggs of this crane in collections. All authentic 

 eggs of the little brown crane that I have seen average much darker 

 in color than those of the sandhill crane. The ground color varies 

 from "buffy brown" or "Saccardo's umber " to dull "clay color" or 

 "deep oUve buff." This is spotted and blotched, generally more 

 profusely around the larger end, with various shades of brown. The 

 underlying markings are of dull browns, such as "fawn color," 

 "wood brown," or "arni}^ brown." The overlying markings are of 

 darker and brighter colors, "walnut brown," "russet" or "chestnut," 

 and often there are a few small spots of "blackish brown" near 

 the larger end. 



Doctor Grinuell (1900) describes his two sets of eggs as follows: 



The eggs of these two sets are quite similarly colored. The general effect is 

 rather pale. The ground color is olive-buff, over which are evenly distributed 

 spots and longitudinally extending dashes of clay color, Vandyke brown, vina- 

 ceous, and lavender. These spottings are rather more numerous at the large end 

 of the eggs, but not so pronouncedly so as to form a wreath. The longitudinal 

 tendency of the markings easily reminds one of the pattern of coloration on 

 the eggs of Myiarchus. 



Doctor Nelson (1887) says: 



The eggs vary in ground color from pale greenish clay color to buffy brown or 

 warm brownish, and the entire surface is irregularly marked with spots and 

 blotches of chocolate brown, rather sparsely distributed at the small end, but 

 numerous about the large end of the egg, chiefly at the very apex. 



The measurements of 25 eggs average 89.5 by 55.1 millimeters; 

 the eggs showing the foiu" extremes measure 101 by 56.5, 83 by 60, 

 77.4 by 46.5 and 79.2 by 44 millimeters. 



Young. — H. B. Conover writes to me: 



The first newly hatched young were seen June 21, when a nest with one chick 

 and a badly pipped egg was found. The nest was visited several times during 

 the day to see if the other egg had hatched. At each visit the two old cranes 

 would fly off to a little side hiU where a cock ptarmigan was always stationed, 

 evidently standing guard over his mate and her nest. Immediately the big birds 

 had alighted, the grouse would ruffle up like a game cock and make a dash at 

 the male crane, who would jump into the air and strike out with his long legs. 

 The ptarmigan always kept a safe distance away and no damage seemed to be 

 inflicted by either side. After a little of this, however, the cranes would stalk 

 solemnly away on their long legs, with the ptarmigan in hot pursuit, but badly 

 put to it to keep up with his enemy. 



Mr. Brandt says: 



We helped one pair of chicks out of their eggs on June 21, and as soon as they 

 became dry they were handsome sturdy little fellows, balls of golden-brown 

 down. The strong legs were slatey red, rather short in proportion to the bird, 

 and in great contrast to the long legs of the parent. The "knees" were thick 

 and the legs fleshlike throughout. The reddish color in the legs and bill of the 

 newly hatched chick was due, no doubt, to the fact that the blood could be seen 



