BIRDS OF NEW YORK 267 



ago at Long Pond, Monroe co. ; and Mr Arthur Babson that he took a 

 specimen at Bellport, L. I. in 1897. The only specimen recorded by Mr 

 Dutcher [see Auk, 10: 266] was killed at Freeport, L. I., in April 1893. 

 Another specimen was taken at Wading river in April 1901 by A. Hoff- 

 man and is now in the collection of Arthur H. Helme [Braislin,. Birds L.I. , 

 p. 54]. A fourth Long Island specimen was taken at Orient in the fall 

 about 1892 and is owned by Dr Henry Heath of Brooklyn [Braislin, Auk, 

 24: 187]. A fifth was observed at Orient, May 4-7, 1905, by Roy Latham 

 [Braislin, loc. cit.]. 



Order PALUDICOLAE 



Marsh Birds 



Orders Ralliformes and Gruiformes, Sharpe's Hand-List 



This polymorphic and unsatisfactory group includes several extra- 



limital families of widely divergent characters. In North America it is 



represented by two suborders, the Grues, or Cranelike birds, and the Ralli, 



or Raillike birds. 



Family GRUIDAE 



Cranes 



Heronlike in stature; neck and legs much elongated; head partly 

 naked, wattled and sparsely grown over with stiff hairs; bill rather long, 

 straight, and blunt pointed; nasal fossae short and shallow; nostrils, near 

 middle of bill, open and pervious; tibiae largely bare; tarsi scutellate in 

 front; toes rather short, webbed at base; hallux small and elevated; wings 

 large, the rear edge when spread curving forward on account of the short- 

 ening of the outer cubitals; inner wing feathers flowing; fifth cubital wanting; 

 plumage compact; no powder-downs; tail short, of 12 feathers; palate 

 schizognathous ; nasal schizorhinal ; no basipterygoids ; coeca very long; 

 oil gland tufted. 



There are 18 species of cranes, found in nearly all parts of the world. 

 They are striking and graceful in appearance and are famous in the cotmtries 

 which they inhabit for their migratory flights which are performed in 

 Indian file at a great elevation and heralded by their raucous, rattling 

 clamors. Their flesh is esteemed for food, but they are very wary and 



