20 



WHOOPING CRANE. 

 ARDEA AMERICANA. 

 [Plate LXIV.— Fig. 3.] 



AveL Zmh JVo. 339. — Catesby, I, 75 — ^Lath. HI, p. 42. — La Grue d'Ameriqiief Briss. V, p,B82.-- 



PL Enl. 889 ^Peaie's Museum^ JVo. 370*. 



THIS is the tallest and most stately species of all the fea-^ 

 thered tribes of the United States ; the watchful inhabitant of ex- 

 tensive salt marshes, desolate swamps, and open morasses, in the 

 neighbourhood of the sea. Its migrations are regular, and of the 

 most extensive kind, reaching from the shores and inundated tracts 

 of South America to the arctic circle. In these immense periodi- 

 cal journies they pass at such a prodigious height in the air as to 

 be seldom observed. They have, however, their resting stages on 

 the route to and from their usual breeding places, the regions of 

 the north. A few sometimes make their appearance in the marshes 

 of Cape May, in December, particularly on and near Egg island,^ 

 where they are known by the name of Storks, The younger birds 

 are easily distinguished from the rest by the brownness of their 

 plumage. Some linger in these marshes the whole winter, setting 

 out north about the time the ice breaks up. During their stay they 

 wander along the marsh and muddy flats of the sea shore in search 

 of marine worms, sailing occasionally from place to place, with a 

 low and heavy flight, a little above the surface ; and have at such 

 times a very formidable appearance. At times they utter a loud 

 clear and piercing cry, which may be heard at the distance of two 

 miles. They have also various modulations of this singular note, 

 from the peculiarity of which they derive their name. When 

 wounded they attack the gunner, or his dog, with great resolu- 



