74 Monograph of the Cranes. 



head was of the same relative extent as in the adult [!], the bill much shorter, and the 

 eyes large and {)rojecting, the whole bird looking very much like a miniature ostrich. 

 The feathers covering the body were about an inch in length, hidden by the down ; the 

 quills were about two inches in length. The young remain with their parents until 

 fully grown, and are fed for a long time by regurgitation [ ! ]. They do not fly until 

 they are as large as their parents ; but run with great speed, and hide like a young 

 partridge. A nest found on the 11th of March contained two eggs, in which incubation 

 had just commenced ; another found on the 15th contained two fresh eggs, and a third 

 on the same date contained two eggs nearly hatched. This is anoLher of the birds 

 whose geographical distribution is especially interesting. It is found breeding all 

 through the lower part of the peninsula of Florida, and again in Wisconsin and the 

 north-west, none being found in the intermediate region except when migrating. 

 (Proe. Boston 8oc. Nat. Hist., 1869, p. 14.) 



" In Western North America," remarks Prof. Baird, " this is an 

 abundant species, migrating southveard in the autumn, and attracting 

 attention by the large numbers in which it appears. Its proper home 

 would seem to be the immense regions of America north of the territory of 

 the United States." Mr. Stansbury observed it " during fall and winter in 

 enormous flocks in the marshes along the Utah Salt Lake. They presented 

 their usual watchfulness and difficulty of approach. No white cranes were 

 seen. It occurs in large flocks throughout the whole interior of North 

 America." According to Mr. Peale, it is " found in great numbers in the 

 latter part of July on the plains of Oregon, and was seen almost daily in 

 the course of our journey to California. It prefers moist open grounds, and 

 roosts generally on small sand bars in the rivers where convenient, but 

 never, that we learned, on trees. Of many thousands of individuals seen 

 by our parties in Oregon and California, we did not observe a single 

 specimen of the Whooping Crane {G. americana), although the bird was 

 known to several persons of whom we made inquiry as a rare visitor on 

 that side of the Eocky Mountains." Dr. Pickering mentions that the 

 Sandhill Crane " alights habitually on dry plains and on the hills." It is 

 included without remark in Mr. R. Brown's " Synopsis of the Birds of 

 Vancouver's Island" (Ibis, 1868, p. 524). "The only bird worth noticing 

 seen at Pond's Bay, in lat. 72° on the west coast of Baffin's Bay, was a 

 Sandhill Crane. It is rarely met with so far north" [Ibis, 1860, p. 167). 

 Doubtless G. americana in immature plumage is referred to in the last 

 instance. Capt. L. Sitgreaves, in his " Report of an Expedition down 

 the Zuni and Colorado Rivers" (1853) remarks of the Sandhill or Brown 

 Crane " : 



This bird I have observed frequently in parts of New Mexico, more abundant, 

 however, on the great Colorado river, where I have seen large flocks congregated ; 

 whereas the Whooping Crane (G. americana) I have never seen. I found them feeding 

 in the low ground about the lakes and rivers. When frightened by the near approach 

 of a man, one is sure to give the alarm and fly off ; he is immediately followed by the 

 whole flock, each one answering the cry of the other, producing anything but an 

 agreeable noise, and circle round in the air until they go to a great height. The 



