34 



THE OOLOGIST 



Lake Region where the birds are un- 

 known, and have not been seen in the 

 history of those parts, although the lo- 

 calities offer the best of inducements in 

 the lay of the land and water. Again 

 we find them reported as common in 

 other sections not far removed. In 

 truth we may find this species a regular 

 visitant to one county, 'end yet abso- 

 lutely never seen in the adjoining coun- 

 ties on the east and west. This same 

 condition obtains to the South, whei-e 

 from Southern Florida northward the 

 birds are known or unknown as the 

 case may be and often are within very 

 narrow bounds. From the Indians, 

 mainly half-breeds, but reliable, as to 

 natural history topics, who live in the 

 Lake Superior Region, I learned that 

 these Cranes summered to the north -of 

 the Great Lakes, and I have found 

 them nesting nearly as far south as the 

 27th parallel in the Eastern part of 

 Florida. Thus we find that the Sand- 

 hill nests in the South or migrates 

 north to breed, covering all of twenty- 

 five degrees of latitude and much more 

 than this according to some authori- 

 ties. * 



In Indiana, Illinois and Michigan 

 these Cranes nest in late May, while 

 the eggs are deposited in Southern 

 Florida in late February or March. 

 The nest is a rudely constructed affair 

 of coarse grass and weeds; is spread 

 out and quite flat. Sometimes there is 

 no nest, the eggs being laid upon the 

 grassy covering of the marsh in a sim- 

 ple hollow. 



The eggs, two in number, are huge, 

 and I think surpassed in size in North 

 America by Swan's eggs alone. They 

 are of a light drab or grayish-buff, and 

 are more or less covered with spots and 

 blotches of brown. They ar*^ striking 



* There are several species of birds in Flor- 

 ida which are found nesting? there as well as at 

 the north, having a breeding range of latitude 

 of over twenty degrees. Among them is the 

 Great Blue Heron, which I have traced in 

 jiestmg range from Southern Florida to Lake 

 .Superior. 



in appearance and make beautiful ad- 

 ditions to a collectoi''s cabinet. 



On one of my trips to Florida Ltouch- 

 ed at a bnmmy little town on Indian 

 River, named Fort Fierce. Noticing a 

 cowboy with a couple of Crane's eggs I 

 followed him into a saloon and saw him 

 dispose of them for two drinks, the 

 value of a quarter. Engaging the bar- 

 tender in conversation I purchased the 

 eggs at a small advance, and followed 

 after the bull sticker, as the herders are 

 called. The raising of cattle in Flor- 

 ida is quite an industry, though it is 

 not generally known at the north. The 

 cattle range wildly over the grazing 

 portions of the everglades from near 

 Lake Okechobee, to the north and east. 

 This cow puncher was an intelligent fel- 

 low, and supplied me with much in. 

 formation. He said that he often found 

 eggs in the marshes and generally near 

 the water; that two eggs were in nearly 

 all the nests, but occasionally three. 



In my travels about the state, on that 

 trip, and later, I found the Sandhill 

 Crane quite generally distributed on 

 both the Atlantic and Gulf coasts, as 

 well as in the mai'shy interior. The 

 nests were never more than flattened 

 out piles of grass and the eggs were al- 

 ways easily found when a nesting lo- 

 cality was discovered, for the big, un- 

 gainly birds could never hide them- 

 selves. 



It is a common practice for the birds 

 to fly about at a great height, appar- 

 ently in sport. This occurs generally 

 in the morning or evening, but the act 

 is sometimes observed at mid-day. So 

 high do the birds sometimes fly that 

 they look like mere specks in the sky, 

 yet their penetrating notes can be 

 plainly heard at over a mile's distance. 

 The notes which are something like the 

 sound produced vipon a cracked bell 

 are not agreeable when near by, but at 

 a diatance sound well and once heard 

 will never be forgotten, 

 make pleasing pets. The young birds are 

 excellent for the table, the old birds are 



