9(5 THE WHOOPING CRANE. 



kokou, off the coast of North Carolina, in the month ol 

 July ; " Such a flock of Cranes (the most part white) arose 

 under us, with such a cry, redoubled by many echoes, as if 

 an army of men had shouted altogether." But though this 

 display of their discordant calls may be amusing, the bust.e 

 Df their great migrations, and the passage of their mighty 

 armies, fills the mind with wonder. 



In the month of December, 1811 (says Mr. Nuttall), while 

 leisurely descending on the bosom of the Mississippi, in one 

 Df the trading boats of that period, I had an opportunity of 

 witnessing one of these vast migrations of the Whooping 

 Cranes, assembled by many thousands from all the marshes 

 and impassable swamps of the north and west. The whole 

 continent seemed as if giving up its quota of the species to 

 swell the mighty host. Their flight took place in the night, 

 down the great aerial valley of the river, whose southern 

 course conducted them every instant towards warmer and 

 more hospitable climes. The clangour of these numerous 

 legions passing along, high in air, seemed almost deafening ; 

 the confused cry of the vast army continued, with the length- 

 ening procession, and as the vocal call continued nearly 

 throughout the whole night, without intermission, some idea 

 may be formed of the immensity of the numbers now assenv 

 bled on their annual journey to the regions of tbo south. 



