654 



U. S. p. E. R. EXP. AND SURVEYS — ZOOLOGY — GENERAL REPORT. 



Comparative measurements of species. 



GRUS AMERICANUS, Ord. 



White Crane ; Whooping Crane. 



^rdea americana, Linn. Syst. Nat. I, 17G6, 234, No. 5.— Gmelin, I, 621.— Forster, Phil. Trans. LXII, J772, 3S2, 

 No. 37. (York Fort.)— Wilson, Am. Cm. VIII, 1814, 20 ; pi. Ixiv. 



Grus americana, Ord's ed. Wils. VIII, 1825.— Bon. Obs. Wils. 1825, No. 195.— Ib. Conspectus, II, 1855, 99.— 

 SwAiNsoN, F. Bor. Am. II, 1831, 372.-Nutt. Man. II, 1834, 34.— Aud. Orn. Biof. HI, 1835, 

 202 ; pi. 226.— Ib. Syn. 219.— Ib. Birds Amer. V, 1842, 188 ; pi. 313. 



Grus clamator, Bartram, Travels in E. Florida, 1791. 



Grus strulhio, Wagler, Syst. Ay. 1827, Grus, No. 6. 



Grus hoyanus, DunLET, Pr. A. N. So. Ph. VII, April, 1854, 64. Wisconsin. — Hartladb, Cab. Journ. Ill, 1855, 

 336 ; considers it the young of Grus amerieanus. 



Grue blanche, Boffon, Ois. VIII, 158. 



" Grue d' amerique, PI. enl. 889." 



Whooping crane, Penn. Arc. Zool. II, 442i_339. — Cat. Car. — Latham. 



Sp. Ch. — Bill deep, compressed. Lower mandible as deep along the gonys as the upper opposite to it. Gonyscinvex, 

 ascending, not in the same straight line with the lower outline of bill. Commissure straight to very near the tip, where it is a 

 little decurved and crenated. Color pure white ; primary and spurious quills, with their shafts, black. Space in front of the eyes, 

 and extending backward between them to a point on the occiput, and below them (involving the whole cheeks) to a point behind 

 the ears, blackish ; this space having the feathers reduced to stiff hairy black shafts, but concealing the warty and granulated 

 skin. Feathers on middle of nap9 above plumbeous diisky. Length, 52 inches ; wing, 24 ; tarsus, 12 ; commissure, 6.02. 



Hah. — Florida and Texas. Stragglers in the Mississippi valley. 



The central line of the head above in 10384 exhibits a, series of rather large excrescences, 

 which may, however, be abnormal. 



Immature specimens have the entire head covered with perfect feathers to the bill ; the 

 feathers with black shafts on the regions which in adults are covered only with black hairs. 

 Color of head and neck pale grayish chestnut. 



The differences of form between the Grus amerieanus and canadensis are sufficiently marked 

 to leave no doubt as to their specific distinctness, independently of the entire diversity of color. 

 The former is a much larger bird ; the bill much stouter and higher, with a more convex and 



