Bird Lifk of North Dakota 25 



There are several mounted birds in the state; one in the University of 

 Xorth Dakota Collection, taken in Cavalier County; one in the Williams Col- 

 lection, taken at Lakota, Nelson County, in 1919; two in the Agricultural 

 College Collection, with no data ; one in the collection of Clarence Hale, shot 

 at Glasston, Pembina County, in 1899. Mr. Williams furnished the data for 

 a specimen taken by W. R. Ross at Calvin, Cavalier County, April 20, 1907 ; 

 one at Sherwood, Renville County, by A. J. Clark, September 19, 1908, and 

 one at Hamilton, Pembina County, by D. D. Warren, April 12, 1912. 



Mr. Alfred Eastgate tells me that the species bred commonly until 1908 

 in Nelson County. 



A flock of seven whooping cranes was seen from the car window, stand- 

 ing at the edge of a small pond near the track, just east of Medina, Stutsman 

 County, on June 24, 192 1. They flew up as the train passed, making a great 

 spread of black and white plumage. 



61. Grus canadensis (Linnreus). Little Brown Crane. 



Allen, 1875, P- 67; large flock seen- at the crossing of the Little Missouri, Sep- 

 tember IS, 1873, circling high in the air over the camp; the only time the species was 

 oViserved. (Allen noted this under the species canadensis, but these birds may have 

 been mexicana.) Judd, 1917, p. 11; one pair shot out of a flock of ten or twelve, 

 April 18, 1895, now in the collection of H. L. Bigelow;, Boston, Massachusetts. 



There is a specimen in the Williams Collection taken near Grafton, 

 September 30, 1920. In the Agricultural College Museum is an individual 

 from Custer Flats, 19 12, and in the Fargo College Collection is one from 

 Goodrich, Sheridan County, 1909. 



62. Grits mexicana (Miiller). Sandhill Crane. 



CuLBERTSON, 1851, p. 118; "June 13 one of the pilots brought me a very young 

 sandhill crane, which I put in alcohol, and I intend preserving the skeleton of a 

 larger one, which was not in a condition to skin." (Missouri River, between Forts 

 Clark and Berthold.) CouES, 1878, p. 646; commonly observed after leaving Pem- 

 bina; it appears to breed over the whole region in prairie country. Hoffman, 1882, 

 p. 404; more frequently seen than the whooping crane. Judd, 1891, p. 169; saw sand- 

 hill cranes near Cando, October 5, 1890. CouES, 1897, p. 9; Audubon saw a young 

 sandhill crane near Heart River, Morton County, on June 6, 1843; p. 95; on July 16 

 there was a sandhill crane about two years old in a grassy bottom near Fort Union. 

 Thwaites, 1905, p. 199; October 16, 1833, Maximilian records large flocks of cranes 

 passing the boat near Fort Union. Judd, 1917, p. 11; common, breeds in Towner 

 County in isolated sloughs that contain more or less water. The fall flights are 

 often very large and in some localities they do some damage to grain, earliest 

 migrants noted April 6 and a full set of eggs June 9. Bailey, 1920, p. 67; the most 

 notable bird found in the Turtle Mountains was a sandhill crane. 



This species was not seen alive. There are mounted specimens in the 

 state collections, and J. D. Allen, of Mandan, mounted one from Steele, 

 Kidder County, taken October 6, 1921, by M. Hogue, Mr. Russell Reid 

 says it does not seem to be rare during migrations: on April 16, 1921. 

 eight large flocks were seen, about five hundred birds in all. Residents told 

 me there were a few still breeding in the big sloughs, that more were seen 

 in migration, but they are no longer a very common species. Formerly 



