72 Monograph of the Oranes. 



GEUS CANADENSIS (Linn.). 

 THE BROWN OK SANDHILL CRANE. 

 Aedea canadensis, Linn, Syst. Nat. 1, 234. (1766.) 

 Geus canadensis, Temm. 

 Geus mexicana, Briss. (1760.) 



Geus peatensis, Bartram, Trav. in Florida. (1791.) 

 Geus pusca, Vieill. Nouv. Diet. d'Hist. Nat. vii., 548. 

 Geus POLioPHiEA, Wagler, Syst. Av. (1827.) Orus No. 7. 



. [Blyth described this species under the name of G. Mexicana, but Mr. 

 P. L. Sclater, in his notes, states : 



" It does not appear to me to be in any way certain Edwards' plate i. 33 (upon which 

 Linnaeus founded his Ardea canadensis) is intended for the young of Grus Americana, 

 it may, with nearly equal propriety I think, be attributed to the present species (N.B., 

 figure pessima) . I am, therefore, very unwilling to adopt Mr. Blyth's views upon this 

 point, and prefer to continue to call this Crane Orus canadensis, in which designation 

 all the American ornithologists also agree." 



I have therefore retained that title, and throughout the following description 

 have altered the name of the species from mexicana, as originally written by 

 Mr. Blyth, to canadensis. — W. B. T.] 



Size nearly that of a small European crane, the plumage similarly ash- 

 grey (becoming brownish when the feathers are old and worn), somewhat 

 darker on the tertiaries and more distinctly and conspicuously paler on the 

 neck J the cheeks and throat white ; ear-coverts grey ; entire crown and 

 occiput nude ; the skin much granulated and of a bright crimson colour, 

 with the usual black setaceous feathers on the forehead and lores, this bare 

 crimson patch being broad and obtusely furcate behind. Irides orange 

 yellow ; bill greenish mixed with black ; legs dusky. 



" The young differs from the adult,'' writes Prof. Baird, " in having the 

 ashy feathers washed more or less with light rusty, especially on the wings, 

 scapularies, 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 over the entire head. One specimen at least has the entire head 

 feathered, and in another these extend further along the occiput than in the 

 adults. These are smaller than typical G. canadensis, but otherwise quite 

 similar. Mr. Cassin suggests that, in case they may be distinct from the 

 other, they may possibly be referred to G. cinerea longirostris of Temminck 

 and Schlegel, figured in the 'Fauna Japonica,' Birds, pi. 72." 



Why other than the young of G. canadensis I do not perceive; but 

 before reading the above I had arrived at the same conclusion respecting 

 an American crane which was received at the London Zoological Gardens in 

 1 866, A pair wer§ received together, which were quite similar in colouring 



