ANDERSON — THE BIRDS OF IOWA. 20I 



on the Iowa side of the Missouri River, May i , 1892, and recorded 

 by I. S. Trostler, who also reported one near Florence Lake Aug. 

 23, 1903" (Rev. Bds. Neb., 34). Other Iowa records are as fol- 

 lows : 



Boone — "rare; only one record of its occurrence in the county. 

 I have the specimen" (Henning). Jackson — "have a record of a 

 specimen taken Sept. 15, 1892 — Sabula" (Giddings). Sioux — 

 "rare; one male — Hawarden" (Berry). 



Order PALUDICOL.^. Cranes, Rails, Coots, etc. 

 * Suborder GRUES. Cranes, 



Family GRUID.E. Cranes. 



All three of the North American species of Cranes are found in 

 Iowa. The Cranes are long-legged, long-necked wading birds, 

 but have the front of the head sparsely covered with bristle-like 

 feathers instead of being bare. The hind toe is short and ele- 

 vated. They are omnivorous in diet, feeding on frogs, snakes, 

 field-mice, and vegetable food. While the Cranes generally 

 spend most of the time in marshes, they are also frequently found 

 on uplands, cornfields, etc., particularly in spring and fall. They 

 are gregarious during the migrating season and fly in long files, 

 but become more solitary during the nesting season. Their 

 voices are very loud and resonant. 



Genus Grus Pallas. 



77. (204). (h'lts anicricana (Linn.). Whooping Crane. 



It is highly probable that at the present time the Whooping 

 Crane or White Crane can be accounted no more than a rare mi- 

 grant in Iowa. This magnificent and striking bird, perhaps the 

 most imposing species native to Iowa, was formerly a well-known 

 and fairly common summer resident in the state, breeding in the 

 large marshes which were at that time characteristic of northern 

 Iowa. 



Thomas Say mentions the arrival of the "Hooping Crane" at 

 Engineers' Cantonment March ig, 1820 (Long's Exp., i, 266-270). 

 T. M. Trippe states: "Quite a number seen in fall in Decatur 

 county. Said to have been quite common formerly" (Pr. Bost. 

 Soc, XV, 1872, 240). He also describes their migration in south- 



