SUBORDER ALliGTOIilDES I CRANES, RAILS, &c. 



Family GEUID^ : Cranes. 



GEUS AMERICANA, (Linn.) Temm. 



White or Whooping Crane. 



Jrclea amei-icana, Linn., Syst. Nat. i, 1776, 234 (based on Edw., pi. 132 ; Gates., pi. 75 ; 

 Bkiss., V, 382).— Gm., Syst. Nat. i, 1788, 621.— Fokst., Phil. Trans. Ixii, 1772, 

 382 (York Fort).- Lath., Ind, Orn. ii, 1790, 675 (Arct. Zool. ii, 442 ; Gen Syn.. 

 V, 42 , Planch. Enlum. 889).— Wjxa., Am. Orn. viji, 1814,20, pi. 64, f. 3. 



Grus americana, TE^rM., Analyse. — Ord, ed. Wils. viii, 1825. — Bp., Obs. Wils. 1835, No. 

 195 ; Syn. 1828, — ; List, 1838, 46 ; Consp. ii, 1855, 99.— Sw. & RicfH., F. B. A. 

 ii, 1831, 372 ("every part of the Fur Conntries").— NnTT., Man. ii, 1«34, 34.— 

 AuD., Orn. Biog. iii, 1835, 202, pi. 226; Syn. 1839, 219; B. A. v, 1842, 188, pi. 

 313.— Bry., Pr. Bost. Soo. iv, 1853, 303 (critical).- Putn., Pr. Ess. Inst, i, 1856, 

 229 (Massachusetts, very doubtful ; based on Emmons, Cat. B. Mass. 135 ; see 

 COUES, Pr. Ess. Inst, v, 1868, 289).— Bi>., B. N. A. 1858, 654.— Maxi.h , J. f. 0. 

 vii, 1859, 82 (immature). — Wheat., Ohio Agric. Rep. 1860, No. 181 (Ohio, orca- 

 sional). — Dkess., Ibis, 1866, 30 (Lower Rio Grande). — CouES, Pr. Bost. Soc. 

 xii, l-;68, 123 (South Carolina in winter, doubtful ; on authority of Prof . Gibbes, 

 probably referring back to Audubon, who did not distinguish between this and 

 G. canadensis). — Tdrnb., B. E. Pa. 1869, 43 ("now very rare;" three iit Bees- 

 ley's Point, in 1851). — Trippe., Pr. Ess. Inst, vi, 1871, 118 (iilinnesota, "qnite 

 common at certain seasons, occasionally breeding"). — Tkippb, Pr. Bost. Soc. 

 XV, 1672,240 (Decatur County, Iowa, "quite a number"). — Aiken, Pr. Bost. Soc. 

 XV, 1872, 209 (Colorado, migratory, occasional). — Allen, Bull. M. C. Z. iii, 1872, 

 182 (Kansas). — Snow, B. Kans. 1673, 9 (rare in migration). — Coues, Key, 

 1872, yTl.- EiDGW., Ann. Lye. N. Y. s, 1874, 387 (Illinois). 



G'-us clamator, Bahtkam, Trav. in E. Fla. 1791. 



Gnts stritlhio, WaGLER, Svst. Av. 1627, Grus No. 6. 



■Grus hojaiius, Dudley, Pr. Phila. Acad, vii, 1854, 64.— Hartl., J. t O. iii, 1855, 336, 

 427. -(See Stimpson, Mem. Chic. Acad, i, 1868, 129, pi. 19.) 



Hab. — Interior of North America. Up the Mississippi Valley, spreading through the 

 Fur Conntries. Texas to Florida, and occasionally up the coast to the Middle States. 

 Not obtained by any of the Expeditious. 



It is unnecessary, at tbis late day, to argue the question of tbe dis- 

 tinctness of ttiis species and its formerly supposed young, G. canadensis. 

 But a very remarkable anatomical difference between the two species 

 may be presented, as a structural character of G. americana not gen- 

 erally recognized, if indeed it be not altogether unknown. In G. cana- 

 densis the trachea is stated to be simple ; in G. americana it is remark- 

 ably convoluted within the sternum, to a degree perhaps not surpassed 

 by any bird whatever, and certainly equaled by few. This is an instance 

 of an anatomical peculiarity like that of the Trumpeter Swan [Gygnits 

 buccinator), in comparison with some allied species, and it appears to ex- 

 ercise a similar direct influence upon the voice, in each case. 



My attention was first directed to this peculiarity by Dr. E. O. Sweeny, 

 of Saint Paul, when visiting the Museum of the Academy of iSTatural 

 Sciences in tliat city, where I was shown a beautiful preparation of 

 the sternum and trachea, exhibiting the entire course of the windpipe 

 inside the keel of the bone. The sternal keel is broad and tumid, and 

 is entirely excavated. The greater part of the excavation is occupied 

 by the singular duplications of the trachea, to be presently described; 

 but there are two — an anterior and a posterior — large empty air cells 

 iu the bone, with smooth walls, and two other air cells — one superior 



