58 Trans. Acad. Sci. of St. Louis. 



to southeastern British Columbia, and formerly east to Florida 

 and Ohio. Winters in the Gulf States and Mexico. 



In Missouri formerly a fairly common transient visitant, 

 mainly from the middle to the end of March, sometimes earlier 

 (March 4 and 5, 1882, St. Louis) or later (April 10, 1894, Keokuk). 

 W. E. D. Scott mentions the Sandhill Crane as being a common 

 migrant at Warrensburg, arriving early in April 1874. Prince 

 of Wied on his way up the Missouri River in 1833 makes the 

 following entry in his diary : "April 18, 1833. Below Lexington. 

 A large number of Sandhill Cranes filled the air with their voices; 

 they went in flocks northeastward." Fall records are less fre- 

 quent; they come from the center of the state, Saline and How- 

 ard Counties, October 14 to 25, 1885 and 1890. Audubon saw 

 many Sandhill Cranes October 13, 1843, near the mouth of the 

 Grand River. There is no doubt that only a small percentage 

 of their former numbers survive. Very few notes of the last ten 

 years are to be had, while as late as 1872 J. M. Trippe writes from 

 our northern boundary (Decatur Co., Iowa): "Vast numbers 

 pass over in spring and fall; they bred formerly." On his jour- 

 ney up the Missouri River in 1843 Audubon saw five Sandhill 

 Cranes near the mouth of Nodaway River as late as May 7; 

 and Dr. Hoy met with a pair on the prairie between Utica and 

 Lexington May 18, 1854. He writes: "My brother waved his 

 hat and shouted two or three times, when the male bird com- 

 menced, by bowing and hopping in a ludicrous manner, — a 

 series of amusing antics, interluded with brief samples of vocal 

 powers that made ample compensation in strength for any lack 

 of melody." 



Suborder llalli. Rails, Gallinules, Coots, etc. 



Family Rallidae. Rails, Gallinules, Coots. 



Subfamily Rallinae. Rails. 



*208. Rallus elegans (Aud.). King Rail. 

 Great Red-breasted Rail. Marsh Hen. 



Geog. Dist. — Eastern United States; north to Connecticut, 

 southern Ontario, Minnesota; west to eastern Nebraska and 

 Kansas. Breeds in fresh-water marshes throughout its range. 

 Winters in the southern states. 



In Missouri a fairly common summer resident in the marshes 



