138 . COURLANS. 



Range. — Interior of North America ; breeds from Illinois north ward ; win- 

 ters in the Gulf States. 



Washington, A. V., one record. 



I^est^ of grasses and weed stalks, on the ground in marshy places. Eggs^ 

 two, olive-gray, spotted and blotched with distinct and obscure cinnamon- 

 brown markings, 4'00 x 2*50. 



A rather rare species east of the Mississippi. " In flight their long 

 necks and stiltlike legs are stretched out in a line with the body to 

 the full extent, moving strongly with slowly beating wings, but not 

 swiftly, . . . often circling spiral-like to a great height. They occa- 

 sionally bunch up, and I have seen them in triangular form ; but as a 

 rule they travel in single file, following their leader in a wavy line, 

 croaking as they go, like hounds upon a cold trail " (Goss). 



The Little Brown Crane {205. Grus canadensis) breeds from Hudson 

 Bay to Alaska, and winters in Texas and Mexico. There are but two in- 

 stances of its occurrence east of the Mississippi (Rhode Island and South 

 Carolina). It resembles m^a^^'ea^a, but is smaller ; W. 18'50; B., 4-10. 



206. Grus mexicajaai (Midi.). Sandhill Crane; Brown Crane. 

 Ad. — Whole top of the head to below the eyes covered with rough, minutely 

 warty, dull reddish skin thinly grown with short, black "hairs"; plumage 

 brownish gray, with more or less silvery gray and buffy ochraceous. Im. — 

 Similar, but whole head feathered, and with more butfy ochraceous in the 

 plumage. " L., 40-00-48-00 ; W., '21-83 ; Tar., 10 25 ; B., 5-47 " (Ridgw.). 



Range. — Florida, Georgia, and northward through the Mississippi Valley 

 to Manitoba; breeds locally throughout its range ; winters in the Gulf States 

 from Florida to Texiis. 



Nest.^ of roots, rushes, weed stalks, etc., on the ground in marshy places. 

 Eggs., two, olive-gray, spotted and blotched with distinct and obscure cinna- 

 mon-brown markings, 3-90 x 2-40. 



" These birds in their habits are similar to the Whooping [Crane], 

 but much more numerous. Their loud, modulating, sonorous croak 

 announces their presence, and is often heard during the night as well 

 as the day. 



'•During courtship and the early breeding season their actions and 

 antics at times are ludicrous in the extreme, bowing and leaping high 

 in the air, hopping, skipping, and circling about with drooping wings 

 and croaking whoop, an almost indescribable dance and din, in which 

 the females (an exception to the rule) join, all working themselves up 

 into a fever of excitement only equaled by an Indian war dance, and, 

 like the same, it only stops when the last one is exhausted " (Goss). 



Family Aramid^e. Courlans. 



Courlans might be called large Rails with some of the habits of 

 Herons. Two species are known, Aramus scolopaceiis of South America, 



