THE BIROS OF WISCONSIN. 
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 
County and sent to Thure Kumlien. Even as long ago as 
1840 they were rare along Lake Michigan, while they occurred 
in numbers along the Mississippi River and the west central 
part of the state. 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 prac- 
tically impossible. Newspaper and other reports of flocks of 
"white cranes" and of specimens shot in various parts of the 
state of late years, refer to the american egret, and not to 
this species. 
Grus canadensis (Linn.). LITTLE BROWN CRANE. 
Rare straggler during early spring and late fall. During 
the latter part of March and the first part of April, 1894, a lone 
crane kept with a flock of Canada geese on Rock Prairie, near 
Johnstown, Rock County, for some days, and appeared to act 
as chief sentinel while the geese fed in the fields, always flying 
away with the geese when alarmed. This bird was killed on 
April 4 (1894) by L. Kumlien, and proved to be a fine 
plumaged male of this species — and very small. It is now 
preserved in the Museum of the Whitewater Normal School. 
At least one other, that we are positive of, was shot in Dane 
County late in the fall of 1879, and came into the possession 
of Thure Kumlien frozen stiff. This specimen was formerly 
in the Museum of Albion Academy. 
Grus mexicana (Mull.). SANDHILL CRANE. 
In an early day a very abundant migrant and common 
summer resident, from the southern border of the state north- 
ward. Although at the present time entirely absent from most 
thickly settled portions of the State, there are still many 
localities, even in southern Wisconsin, where it occurs regu- 
larly in good numbers. On the "Big Marsh" near Delavan 
cranes occur every spring and fall in numbers from one 
hundred to two hundred and fifty, remaining for nearly three 
weeks at a time. A nest of two eggs was procured on this 
marsh May 30, 1883. One of the eggs is preserved in the 
Hollister collection, the other having been broken. They were 
