COUBLANS 



(207) Aramus vociferus 



(Lalh.) (Lat., noisy). 



LIMPKIN. A species with char- 

 acters common to both cranes and 

 rails, but chiefly favoring the latter. 

 PlumaKe as shown, chiefly brownish, 

 spotted and streaked with white. 

 Immature birds are paler colored. 

 Downy young are jet black. L., 

 26.00; W., 13.00; T., 6.50; Tar., 

 4.50; B., 4.00. Nesl — A platform 

 of sticks and grasses close to the 

 ground in marshes or swamps; four 

 to twelve bufl^y-white eggs, blotched 

 with brown, 2.30x1.70. 



Range — Resident in marshes of 

 Fla., the West Indies and both coasts 

 of Central America. Casual north 

 to S. Car. 



The smaller SANDHILL CRANES are more abundant 

 and ha^'e not yet been wholly banished from the United 

 States as residents, for a few still remain to nest in Florida 

 and Louisiana, although the bulk of them pass through the 

 interior to the wilds of Manitoba and Saskatchewan before 

 settling down for the summer. Their nests are built in 

 open marshes or grassy ponds, grass, weeds and roots being 

 jjiled up until the top is elevated several inches above the 

 water; the two large eggs are laid on the slightly hollowed top. 



Cranes feed upon field mice, snakes, lizards, frogs, shellfish, 

 berries or seeds. During migrations they may often be 

 seen feeding with companies of geese — a combination of 

 wariness that renders undetected approach by a hunter 

 impossible. Cranes have very raucous, resonant voices 

 which they are fond of testing after dusk. A glance at a 

 crane's windpipe would convince any one of the power of 

 their voices, even though they lack musical quality, that of 

 the Whooping Crane being more than four feet in length. 

 During spring, parties of cranes, including both sexes, go 



132 



