BIRDS — GRDIDAE — 6EUS CANADENSIS. 



655 



deeper apex to the lower jaw. The gony is convex, ascending, and far from being in a straight 

 line with the basal inferior outline, as in canadensis. The elongated tertials are more vertical 

 and curved, with more flowing plumes. 



The young in some ages may resemble the G. canadensis, but the difference in size of body, in 

 the thickness of bill, and in the feathers of the head, will serve to distinguish them. The color 

 is .probably much redder, judging from the single head and neck I have had an opportunity of 

 examining. The Grus hoyanus of Dudley appears to be, without doubt, as suggested by Hart- 

 laub, the young G, americanus. 



The G. americanus, though common in Texas and Florida, is yet one of the rarest birds in 

 collections. There are none in any of the public museums of the United States, as far as I 

 have been able to ascertain, and for the opportunity of describing the species I am indebted to 

 Mr. Thomas E. Blackney, of Chicago, who generously relinquished the possession of his specimen 

 to the Smithsonian Institution. 



According to Wilson this species in his time was occasionally found in the marshes of New 

 Jersey, especially near Beesley's Point. 



List of specimens. 



GKUS CANADENSIS, Temm. 



Sand-hill Crane ; Brown Crane. 



Jirdea canadensis, Linn. Syst. Nat. 1, 1766, 234, No. 3.— Gmelin, I, 1788, 620.— Forster, Phil. Trans. LXII, 1772, 



382, No. 36. Severn river. 

 Grus eanadenns, "Temminck." Svr. F. Bor. Am. II, 1S31, 273.— Nhttall, Man. IF, 1834, 38.— Bon. Consp. II, 



1855, 98.— GcNDLACH, Cab. Jour. IV, 1856, 339. 

 Grus pratensis, Bartram, Travels in Florida, 1791. 

 Grusfusca, Vieillot, Diet. 



GrUs poliophaea, Wagler, Syst. Av. 1827, Grus, No. 7. 



Grus americana, Aud. Orn. Biog. Ill, 1835, 441 ; pi. 261.— Ib. Birds Amer. V, 1842, 188 ; pi. 314. (Supposed young.) 



Brown Crane, Pennant, Arc. Zool. II, 443. — Lath. Syn. Ill, i, 43. 



Sp. Ch. — Bill compressed. Lower mandible not as deep tovi^ards the tip as the upper. Gonys nearly straight ; In the same 



ine with the basal portion of bill. Commissure decidtdly curving from beyond the middle to the tip, where it is even, not 



crenated. Color bluish gray, the primaries and spurious quills dark plumbeous brown; the shafts white. Cheeks and chin 



whitish. Entire top of head (bounded inferiorly by a line from commissure along the lower eyelid) bare of feathers, warty 



and granulated, thinly beset with short scattered black hairs. Feathers of occiput advancing forward in an obtuse angle; 



the grey feathers along this point, and over the auricular region, tinged with plumbeous. Length, 48 ; wing, 22 ; tarsus, 10 ; 



commissure, 6. 



Hob. — Whole of western regions of United States. Florida. 



The young Grm canadensis differs from the adult, in having the ashy feathers washed more or 

 less with light rusty, especially on the wings, scapulars, occiput, and nape. The feathers of 

 the occiput appear to extend along the central line of the crown towards the bill, and, possibly, 

 in the very young, cover the entire head. One specimen, 9483, at least, has the entire head 



