670 Eepost of State Geologist. 



*75. (206). Grus mexicana (Mull). 



Saudlull Crane. ' 



Adult. — With the bare part of head forking behind to receive a 

 pointed extension of the occipital feathers, not reaching on the sides 

 below the eyes, and sparsely hadry; bill, mijoderately stout, with nearly 

 straight and scarcely ascending gonys, that part of the under mandible 

 not so deep as the upper at the same place; adult plumage, plumbeous 

 gray, never whitening; primaries, and their coverts, blackish. 

 Immature. — ^With head feathered and plumage varied with rusty 

 brown; rather smaller than the last. 



Length, 40.00-48.00; wing, 31.00-23.50 (31.83); bill, 5.15-6.0a 

 (5.47); depth of biH at base, .95-1.10 (l.&l); tarsus, 9.9O-10.65 (10.25);^ 

 middle toe, 3.40-3.60 (3.50); bare part of tarsus, 4.60-5.00 (4.78). 



Range. — North America, north to Ontario, Michigan and Mani- 

 toba. Most abundant from Mississippi Valley to Pacific coast. Casu- 

 alJy to- Hudson Bay. Rare on Atlaintie coast north of Georgia. Breeds 

 locaHy throughout its range. Winters in Gulf States and Mexico. 



Nesi, on ground in grassy ponds and marshes, of grass, reeds, 

 etc. Hggs, 3; olive-brown or draib, spotted with brown and gray; 3.98 

 by 2.44. ■ 



Regular rmgrant; sometimes common. Occasional summer visitor. 

 Occasional summer resident in northwestern Imdiana. Formerly breed-; 

 ing abundantly in the large marshes of the State (Brayton). It is most 

 commonly found in the Wabajsh Valley an^d northwai-d; elsewhere very 

 rare. It has been noted but once in the Whitewater Valley — Dr. 

 Etifus HajTBond saw three specimens. 



Mamy people confound this bird with the Great Bl-u€ Heron, which 

 is popuiltoly Imown by the erroneous name "Blue Crane." 



The Herons are distinctly fishers amd frequent the waterways, while 

 the Sandhill Crane frequents pastures, fields, dryer marshes, and 

 praiiries, and subsists upon field mice, grasshoppers, and other insects, 

 a»d vegetable food, notably potatoes and sweet potatoes, of which they 

 are very fond. 



They pass north in the spring, in March and early April. The ear- 

 liest arrival I have is March 7, 1894, when Mr. Deane noted' a flock at 

 English Laike. The earliest spiring recor(S for the southern part of the 

 State is Bidmell, Knox County, March 21, 1895 (Chansler). Mr. S. 

 T. Sieiling reported it from Camden, Cairroll County, April 13, 18S8. 



Mr. Ruthven Deane tells me that at English Lake March 35, 1893, 

 he could hear them all day uttering their hoaa-se, guttural rattle, while 

 soaring so high one could not see them, as the atmosphere was a little 



