GRLIDJS — THE CRANES — GRITS. 
405 
Hab. The interior of North America from Texas and Florida to the Fur Countries, and from 
Colorado to Ohio ; south to Guanajuato, Central Mexico ? 1 Formerly found, casually, in the Atlan- 
tic States. 
Sp. Char. Adult : Whole crown and occiput covered by a warty or granulated skin, almost 
bare on the occiput, but covered anteriorly by black hair-like bristles ; the color of this skin red- 
dish in life. Lores and malar region, including a narrow angular strip extending from the latter 
down each side of the throat, also naked, and similarly bristled, the bristles denser anteriorly. 
Color entirely pure white, excepting the primaries and their coverts, which are uniform slate-black, 
and a patch of plumbeous on the upper part of the nape, adjoining the bare skin of the occiput 
and extending downward for the distance of about two inches. “ Bill wax-yellow ; iris gamboge- 
yellow ; bare skin of head dull orange-color ; legs blue-black.” (Sw. & Rich. 1. c.) Young : Head 
completely feathered. General color white, with large patches here and there, especially above, of 
light cinnamon, the head and neck almost continuously of this color. The primaries and their 
coverts uniform dull black, as in the adult. Bill dull wax-yellow, the terminal portion blackish ; 
legs and feet blackish. Immature : Bare portions of the head indicated by feathers of a harsher 
texture and darker color than elsewhere, occupying the areas which are naked in the fully adult. 
Plumage much stained with pale cinnamon, as in the first plumage. 
Total length, about 52.00 inches ; extent, 92.00 ; wing, 24.00 ; culmen, 5.35 ; tarsus, 12.00 ; 
middle toe, 4.25. 
The Great White or Whooping Crane is nearly confined to the central portion of 
North America, passing the winter months in the swamps of Florida and Texas, 
and breeding in the more northern portions of the. continent. It breeds in favor- 
able localities in the region north of the 43d parallel, some, however, nesting in the 
prairies of Central Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, and Dakota. Captain Blakiston (“ Ibis,” 
1863, p. 128) mentions meeting with this species at different times during his travels 
in the interior, though he was not able to procure specimens. Mr. Boss records the 
capture of a single specimen on Mackenzie Biver — where, however, the bird was 
quite rare. Specimens in the Smithsonian Institution were procured at Fort Be solu- 
tion, Big Island, Fort Bae, and at Salt Biver, near the Great Slave Lake. 
Hearne, in the Appendix to his “Journey to the Northern Ocean,” published in 
1795, states that the Whooping Crane visits Hudson’s Bay in the spring, though not 
in great numbers. It was generally seen only in pairs, but not very often, and was 
usually observed to frequent the open swamps, the sides of rivers, and the margins 
of lakes and ponds, and to feed on frogs and small fishes. It was esteemed very 
good eating. In breeding it seldom had more than two young, and it retired south- 
ward early in the fall. He adds that its wing-bones are so long and large that he 
has known them made successfully into flutes. 
Bichardson states that he found this species frequenting every part of the Fur 
Country, though nowhere in such numbers as the Brown Crane. It migrates in flocks, 
and performs its journeys in the night, and at such an altitude that its passage is 
known only by the peculiarly shrill screams which it utters. It rises from the ground 
with great difficulty, flying for a time quite low, and affording a fair mark for the 
sportsman; but if the bird is not entirely disabled by the shot, it will fight with 
great determination, and can inflict a very severe wound with its formidable bill. 
Bichardson knew of several instances in which the wounded bird had put the fowler 
to flight and fairly driven him off the field. When fat its flesh is good eating, but is 
very inferior to that of the Brown Crane ( Grus canadensis). 
Mr. Dresser states that on his first visit to the town lagoon at Matamoras, in June, 
1863, he saw a pair of these Cranes, and subsequently met with a small flock of seven 
1 Fide Professor A. Diiges, in epist. 
