APPENDIX 383 



considered a game bird a few years ago, but as ducks have vanished, sportsmen 

 shoot coots for the want of something better. It is said they are edible when 

 skinned. 



116. Sand-hill Crane. — Grus mexicana. 



Plumage slaty or gray brown; top of head bare but with black 

 hairs on dull reddish skin. Length, 40 in. ; wing, 11% in. 



Hab. — Southern half of North America. Now rare near the Atlan- 

 tic Coast, except in Georgia and Florida. 



[a) Little Brown Crane {Grus canadensis). 



Similar to the sand-hill crane (No. 116), only smaller. Wing, \%yi, 

 in. 



Hab. — Arctic and Subarctic America, breeding from the fur coun- 

 tries and Alaska to the Arctic Coast ; migrating south in winter into 

 the Western United States. 



117. Whooping Crane. — Grus americana. 

 White Crane. 



Plumage white ; primaries black ; top of head and sides of throat 

 dull red. Length, 50 in. ; wing, 25 in. 



Hab. — Interior of North America from the fur countries to 

 Florida, Texas, and Mexico, and from Ohio to Colorado. Formerly on 

 the Atlantic Coast at least casually to New England. 



Note. — There are fifteen species of cranes in the world. The three above 

 given are those found in North America. Chapman says : " Our species mi- 

 grate in flocks, but are solitary rather than gregarious at other times of the 

 year. Their voice is loud and and resonant." Young cranes are palatable. 

 Old birds are more often tough and undesirable. 



118. Black Rail. — Porzana jamaicensis. 



Back and wings brownish black barred or spotted with white ; head, 

 breast and upper belly slate color; nape dark reddish brown. Length. 

 5 in. ; wing, aj^ in. 



Hab. — United States. Wintering south to South America, north 

 to Massachusetts, Northern Illinois, and Oregon. 



119. Yellov7 Rail. — Porzana noveboracensis. 



Plumage brownish yellow ; upper parts black, bordered with buff ; 

 breast yellow ; middle of belly white ; sides and lower belly brown, 

 barred with white. A rare bird. Length, 7 in. ; wing, 1% in. 



Uab. — Eastern North America, Nova Scotia, and Hudson Bay, 

 west to Utah and Nevada. 



