188 General Notes. 



well as from the Upper Yukon, Franklin Bay, and Anderson River, by 

 McFarlane, who, as well as other officers of the Hudson's Bay Company, 

 have sent us many of its eggs. 



Notwithstanding its perfect resemblance to G. canadensis in everything 

 except size and proportions, (the supposed differences in coloration, etc. 

 pointed out by Mr. Allen do not hold good in a large series,) I fully coin- 

 cide with Mr. Allen in his view that G. frateixulus is a distinct species, 

 since, among numerous specimens of the two which I have examined, I 

 have been unable to discover any indications of intergradation, the ex- 

 treme measurements of the two being, respectively, as follows, only adults 

 being measured : — 



G. canadensis. Wing, 22.00 ; culmen, 5.00 - 6.00 ; tarsus, 9.50 - 10.00 ; 

 middle toe, 3.50-4.10. 



G. fratercidns. Wing, 17.75-19.00; culmen, 2.90-3.70; tarsus, 6.70 

 - 8.00 ; middle toe, 2.80-2.95. 



In the shape and extent of the naked patch on the head there is much 

 variation in both species, and I have not been able to discover any differ- 

 ence that is constant between them in this respect. As a rule, however, 

 and I believe constantly in fully mature specimens, G. fraterculus is of a 

 decidedly more bluish cinereous than G. canadensis. 



Below are given the principal references to this species, including some 

 of doubtful applical)ility. 



Grus fraterculus, Cassix. — Little Brown Crane. 



(^)Ardea canadensis, Foust., PhiL Trams., LXIT, 1772, 409 (Severn 

 R.). — Sabine, Franklin's Joui\, 1823, 685. — Richardson, Parry's 2d 

 Voy., 1825, 353. — Sw. & Rich., F. B. A., II, 1831, 373 ("North to the 

 shores of the Arctic Ocean "). — Scl., P. Z. S., 18G0, 418 (Hudson's 

 Bay). — Blakist., Ibis, V, 1863, 128 (int. Brit. Am.). 



Grus canadensis, Dall & Bann., Trans. Chicago Ac, I, 1869, 289 (St. 

 Michael's, Alaska). — (?) Taczan., Jour/fiir Orn., 1873, 112 (N. E. Si- 

 beria). 



(?) Blue Crane, Forst., 1. c. 



(J) Brown Crane, Penn., Arct. Zobl., H, 1785, 443. — Lath., Synop., 

 m, 1785, 43. 



Grus fraterculus, Cass., in Baird's B. N. Am., 1858, 656 (=: juv. ; 

 New Mexico); ed. 1860, pi. — . — Baird, Cat. N. Am. B., 1859, no. 

 480. — Allen, Bull. N. O. C, April, 1880, 123 (Rio Verde, Mexico.) — 

 R. RiDGWAY, Washington, D. C. 



Note on Grus fraterculus of Cassin. — If the Arctic American 

 Cranes are all of the kind called Grus fraterculus by Cassin, the species is 

 apparently a synonym of G. canadensis, and the common large one needs 

 some other name, perhaps G. pratensis, Bartram. Linnaeus based his name 

 in 1758 solely on Edwards, pi. 133, and Edwards got his birds mostly from 

 British America. The case is like that of the Pedioecetes, as explained 

 by Elliot. — Elliott Coues, Washington, D. C. 



