376 Field Museum of Natural History — Zoology, Vol. IX. 



in pairs. They frequent both plains and marshes, but are more com- 

 monly found in the open woods and prairies. Their food consists 

 of small animals, such as lizards, frogs, mice, and snakes, as well as 

 seeds and grain. The loud note of the Sandhill Crane is peculiar, 

 somewhat resembling the sounds made by a block when hoisting a 

 sail. The nest is large, built on the ground. The eggs are two in 

 number. 



Genus GRUS Pallas. 



90. Grus americana (Linn.). 

 Whooping Crane. 



Distr.: Interior of North America, from the Fur Countries to 

 Florida, Texas, and Mexico and from the Mississippi Valley to 

 Colorado. Apparently no longer found on the Atlantic coast, 

 except possibly in Florida, where it has become very rare. 



Adult: Bare part of the head, hairy; plumage, white; primaries, 

 black; bill, greenish; legs, black; bare skin on the head, carmine red. 

 The immature birds have the head feathered and the general plumage 

 tinged with pale tawny. 



Length, 52; wing, 23.50; tail, 8.40; bill, 6.10; tarsus, 12. 



The Whooping Crane was formerly an abundant species in Illinois 

 and Wisconsin, but is now rare. Even in 1876, according to Nelson, 

 it was no longer common. He writes: " Once an abundant migrant, 

 but is now of rare occurrence in this vicinity. Along the Illinois 

 River and more thinly settled portions of the state, it is still common 

 during the migrations and a few pairs breed upon the large marshes 

 in Central Illinois." (Birds N. E. Illinois, 1876, p. 133.) In Wis- 

 consin, Kumlien and Hollister consider it a rare bird at the present 

 time. They say: "Formerly of regular occurrence in the southern 

 and western part of the state during migrations, unquestionably 

 breeding to some extent. Thirty or forty years ago it was not rare 

 to see a few among the enormous flocks of Sand Hill Cranes during the 

 October migrations, and even flocks composed entirely of this species. 

 Of late years adults are exceedingly rare and the last record we have 

 of a Wisconsin capture was in October, 1878, when a fine old bird was 

 shot in Green Co., and sent to Thure Kumlien. ****** Among 

 the flights of the common crane that often remain upon the larger 

 dry marshes for two weeks or more in October, there are noticed a 

 few large 'yellowish' specimens that are presumably the young of 

 the year of the Whooping Crane, but they are so shy that approach 

 is practically impossible." (Birds of Wisconsin, 1903, p. 36. ) 



