GRinn.E— THE CRANES. 99 



Grus americana (Linn.) 



WHOOPING CRANE. 

 Fopnlar synonym. Great White Crane. 



A rdea americana LrNN. S. N. od. \t. i. 1766, 234.— Wilb. Am. Orn. viii, 1814. 20. pi. 64, flg. 3. 

 (fruit americana Sw. & KiCH. F. B.-A. ii, 1831. 372.— Nutt. Man. 18»4, S4.— AuD. Orn. 

 Biog. iii. 1835, 202, pi. 226; Synop. 1839, 219; B. Am. v. 1842,188, pi, 313.— Badsd. B. N. Am. 

 1S58, 654; Cat. N. Am. B. 1859, Nu. 178.— CouES, Key. 1872, 271; Check List, 1873, No. 

 462; etl. 2, 1882, No. 668; Birds N. W. 1874. 530. RiDOW. Nom. N. Am. B. 1881. No. 582; 

 Man. N. Am. B. 1881, No. 582.— A. O. U. Check List, 1886, No. 204. 

 Cms hoyanus. Dudley. Proc. Acad. Nat. Soi. Phila. vii. 1854. 64 (young).— Stimpson, 



Mem. Chicago Acad, i, 1868, 129. pi. 19. 

 Hab. The interior of North America from Texas and Florida to the Pur Countries, 

 and from Colorado to Ohio; south to Guanajuato, Central Mexico?' Formerly found, 

 casually, in the Atlantic States. 



Sp. Chab. Adult: Whole crown and occiput covered by a warty or granulated skin 

 almost bare on the occiput, but covered anteriorly by black hair-Uke bristles; the color 

 of this skin reddish in life. Lores and malar region, including a narrow angular strip 

 e.xtending from the latter down each side of the throat, also naked, and similarly bristled, 

 the bristles denser anteriorly. Color entirely pure white, excepting the primaries and 

 their coverts, which are uniform slato-hlack, and a patch of plumbeous on the upper 

 part of till' nape, adjoining the bare .skin of the occiput and extending downward for 

 the distance of about two inches. "Bill wax-yellow; iris gamboge-yellow; bare .skin of 

 head dull orange-color; legs blue-black." (Sw. & Rich. I. c.) Young: Head completely 

 feathered. General color white, with large patches here and there, especially above, of 

 light cinnamon, the head and neck almost continuously of this color. The primaries 

 and their coverts uniform dull bla^'k, as in tlie adult. Bill dull wax-yellow, the terminal 

 portion blaekiBh; legs and feet blackish. Innnature: Bare portions of the head indicated 

 by feathers of a harsher texture and darker color than elsewhere, occupying the areas 

 which are naked in tho fully adult. Plumage much stained with pale cinnamon, as in 

 the first plumage. 



Total length, about 52.00 inches; extent, 92.00; wing, 24.00; culmen. 5.35; tarsus. 12.00; 

 middle toe, 4.25. 



Once an abundant migrant, and in some localities a common 

 summer resident, this ^rand bird is now rare in most parts of 

 the State, and is becoming yearly more so. Mr. Nelson remarks 

 of it: "Along the Illinois River and more thinly settled portions 

 of the State it is still coinmon during the migrations, and a few- 

 pairs breed upon the large marshes in central Illinois." 



Grus mexicaua (Miill.) 



SAND HILL CRANE. 

 FoonUr synomym. Brown Crane. 



Ardea (grus) mexicana Mull. 8. N. Huppl. 1776. UO (ejc Bbiss. Orn. v, 380). 

 Griia canadensin, fi. mexicana B. B. & R. Wafer B. N. Am. i, 1884, 407. 

 Oru< meztoana BiDOW. Proo. U. S. Nat. Mus. viii. 1885. SS«; Man. N. Am. B. 1887, 1S5.- 

 A. O. D. Check List. 1886. No. 206. 



^Fidt FrotesBor A. Dug^s, in epiat. 



