GRUID.E — THE CRANKS — G-RUS. 



405 



Hab. The interior of Nortii America from Texas and Florida to the Fur Countries*, and from 

 Colorado to Ohio ; south to Guanajuato, Central Mexico V ' Formerly found, casually, in the Atlan- 

 tic States. 



Sp. Chak. Adult: Whole crown and occiput covered Ijv a warty or granulated skin, almost 

 bare on the occiput, iiut covered anteriorly by black hair-like bristles ; the color of this skin riil- 

 (lish in life. Lijres and malar region, indudiu),' a narrow an].,'ular strip extendini,' from thi> latter 

 (luwn each side of tlie tlirnat, also naked, and simihuly bristle<l, llie bri>tles deii'-fr aiileriiuly. 

 Color entirely pure wiiite, excepting,' tlie primaries and tiieir diverts, which are uniform slate-black, 

 and a patcli of plumbenus on the upper part of the nape, adjoinin;,' tlie bare >kin of the occiput 

 mid extendiiij,' <lownward for the distance of about two indies. '• P.ill wax-yellow ; iris j,'ambiij;e- 

 vellow ; bare skin of Iiead iluU oran^;e-((i|or ; lej^< Idue-blaek." (Sw, iS: Rich. I.e.) Yhiiikj : Ifcail 

 '■iim]ili'tely leathered. General color white, with hir^;i' patche- heie anci there, especially above, of 

 lij,'ht cinnamon, the head an<l neck almost continutmsly of this color. The primaries and their 

 coverts tmiform dull black, as in the adult. liill dull wax-yellnw, tlie terminal ])ortioii lilackish ; 

 ]ci,'s an<l feet blackish. Iiinii'ilurr : Hare p(irtiiiii>- i I liie head indicated by feathers of a har>lier 

 texture and darker color than elsewhere, (jcciipyiii;,' the areas which are naked in the fully ailull. 

 IMuinage much siiiMied with pale cinnamon, as in the tirst ])himii:,'e. 



Total leuf^th, about 52.00 inches ; extent, t)2.00 ; wiiij,', 2 J.oo ; culmeii. ■).;{.') ; tarsus, 12.00 ; 

 iniddle toe, 4.2r>. 



The (ireat White or W'lKMipiii;^ Criiiii' is nearly eoiitiiied to the eentral iiortioii of 

 \nrth Auierica. passiii;^ the winter nioiitli.s iii the swamjis of Florida and 'i'cxii.s. 

 and breeding,' in tiie more inirthern porti(jns of the continent. It breeds in favor- 

 able localities in the rej^ion north of the 4.'>(l parallcd. some, however, nestiiij; in the 

 prairies of Central Illinois. Jowa. Minnesota, and Dakota. Cajitain lUakiston (••Ibis," 

 ISCi.'J. J). ll'S) mentions meeting; with this species at different times (hiring his travels 

 ill tlie interior, tlioiii;]] he was not able to procure sjieeinieiis. Mr. Ross records tlie 

 lapture of a single s))eciiiien on Mackenzie Kiver — where, however, the bird was 

 ipiite rare. Sjieciiuens in the Smithsonian Institution were procured at Fort Kesoln- 

 tinii. Big Lsland. Fort Rae. and at Salt Kiver. near the fireat Slave Lake. 



Heavne. in the Apjieiidix to his •■.luiirney to the Noitliern Ocean." published in 

 IT'.ti'). states that the Whooping Crane visits Hndsoirs liay in the sjiriiig, though not 

 ill great numbers. It was generally seen only in pairs, but not very often, and was 

 usually observed to fitMpient the open swaiiijis. the sides of rivers, and the margins 

 of lakes and jionds, and to feed on frogs and small fishes. It was esteemed very 

 good eating. In breeding it seldom had more than two young, and it retired south- 

 ward early in the fall. lie adds that its wing-lioues are so long and large that he 

 has known them made successfully into flutes. 



Richardson states that he found this si)ecies freciuenting every ]iart of the Vuv 

 Country, though nowhere in such numbers as the Urown C'rane. It migrates in Hocks, 

 and performs its journeys in the night, and at such an altitude that its ])assage is 

 known only by tlie ])eciiliarly shrill screams whicdi it utters. It rises from the ground 

 with great difficulty, flying for a time quite low, and affording a fair mark for the 

 sportsman; but if the bird is liot entirely disabled bv the shot, it will flglit with 

 great determination, aiul can inflict a very severe wcuind with its formidable bill. 

 Richardson knew of several instances in which the wounded liird had put the fowler 

 to flight and fairly driven him off the field. When fat its flesh is good eating, but is 

 very inferior to that of the Brown Crane (Grus canadensis). 



Mr. Dresser states that on his first visit to the town lagoon at IMatamoras, in June, 

 1863, he saw a pair of these Cranes, and subsequently met with a small flock of seven 



■ 



' Fide Professor A. DitgIs, in epist. 



