212 WHOOPING CRANE. 



a pair of tame birds of this species, which, as they advanced in age, 

 changed their colours from grey to white." 



Geus Americana, Ch. Bonaparte^ Synops. of Birds of the United States, p. 302 — 



Swains, and Richards. Fauna-Bor. Amer. part ii. p. 372. 

 Whooping Crane, Ardea americana, Wils. Amer. Ornith. voL viL p. 20. pL 64. 



fig. 3. Adult. 

 Grits canadensis, Brown Chane, Swains, and Richards. Fauna-Bor. Amer. part ii. 



p. 373. 



Adult Male. Plate CCXXVI. 



Bill long, straight, rather slender, but strong, compressed, pointed. 

 Upper mandible with the dorsal line nearly straight, a little concave at 

 the middle, slightly declinate toward the tip, the ridge flat and rather 

 broad as far as the middle, the sides sloping, towards the end convex, 

 with a wide groove filled by a soft membrane, and extending nearly two- 

 thirds of its length, the edges sharp but thick for two-thirds of its length, 

 and very slightly serrated. Nostrils lateral, placed at about a third of the 

 length of the bill from its base, oblong, large, pervious. Lower mandible 

 with the angle narrow and very long, the sides perpendicular at the base, 

 the edges straight and sharp. 



Head small, compressed. Eyes of moderate size. Neck verj- long. 

 Body rather slender. Feet very long ; tibia long, bare to a large extent, 

 and covered with transverse series of rectangular scales ; tarsus very long, 

 rather compressed, covered anteriorly with numerous oblique scutella, 

 posteriorly with large, and laterally with small scales ; toes rather small ; 

 the first very small, second and fourth nearly equal, third considerably 

 lono-er, the third and fourth connected at the base by a web of consider- 

 able size, all marginate, covered above with numerous narrow scutella, 

 beneath broad, flattened, and granulate ; claws of moderate size, strong, 

 considerably curved, rather compressed, that of hind toe much smaller, 

 second and third largest, the latter with a groove on its inner edge. 



Fore and upper part of head to the occiput papillar, and covered only 

 with small hairs, as are the sides of the head. The plumage in general 

 is soft, but distinctly imbricated ; the feathers rounded, those of the neck 

 short. Wings ample ; the second primary longest, third and fourth nearly 

 as long, first longer than fifth ; inner secondaries and their coverts curved 

 • downwards, forming a beautiful bunch of loosely barbed feathers. Tail 

 short, rounded, of twelve broad rounded feathers. 



