( 132 ) 
The Hooping-Crane from Hudfon’s-Bay. 
T HIS Figure is reduced from the natural Bignefs, as may be feen by the follow- 
ing Measures : The Length of the Bird from its Bill-point to the Ends of the 
Claws is five Feet feven Inches : The Wing when clofed was twenty-five Inches 
long; the lower Bone of the Leg, beneath the Knee and Foot, is eleven Inches long. 
The Leg is bare of Feathers above the Knee more than five Inches 3 the middle Toe 
without the Claw is four Inches long. See the natural Size of the Head at the Bot- 
tom of the Figure. The Bill is toothed at the Point. 
The Bill is fix Inches long from its Point to the Angles of the Mouth ; the Nof- 
trils are placed in Channels on each Side, at about a third Part of the Length of the 
Bill from the Head : Both the upper and lower Mandibles are of a yellow-brown 
Colour at each of their Ends, and a little Dufky in the Middle: The Top of the 
Head and a Line from the Angle of the Mouth palling on each Side, under the 
Eyes, are cover’d with a reddifh Skin thinly fet with black Hairs in the Hinder- 
part ; but forward next the Bill, and between the Bill and Eye, it is cover’d thicker 
with fuch Hairs, fo as to appear Black. Immediately behind the red bald Skin on 
the Crown, there is a triangular black Spot on the Hinder-part of the Head, one of 
its Points falling on the Beginning of the Neck. The Sides of the Head, the Throat, 
Neck, whole Body and Tail are W'hite. The Wings have their outermofr nine Quills 
Black, the Tenth hath the outer Web Black, and the inner White; the Remainder about 
twenty-fix in Number are wholly White, and thofe next the Back (which almofr 
cover the black Quilis when the Wings are clofed) are of a remarkable loofe Texture, 
as they are in fome Sort expreffed in the Figure. The firfr Row of Covert- Feathers, fo 
far as they cover the black Quills, are Black ; all the remaining Covert-Feathers both 
without and within Side the Wings are White; there are fome black Feathers in 
the Bafrard Wing. The fmall Feathers on the Membrane that connects the Joints 
of the Wing are a little tindhired with Red or Bioffom-Colour, very faint. The Legs 
are bare above the Knees ; the outer and middle Toes are joined by a Skin or Web 
as far as the firfr Joint : The middle Claw is not pedlinated as in Herons : The Legs 
and Feet are cover’d with Scales, all of a black Colour. 
This Bird was brought from HudfoAs-Bay , very well preferved dry, by Mr. Iftjam , who in- 
form’d me they come into thofe Northern Parts in the Summer Seafon, where they breed, and 
return Southward at the Approach of Winter. Mr. Catesby has figur’d the Head of this Bird, 
VoL l . P. 75. of his Natural Hijlory of Carolina, &V. He was inform’d, that great Numbers 
of them are feen early in the Spring, about the Mouths of .Rivers, near St. Auguftlne in Florida , 
and that they retire to the Mountains in Summer. Our late Difcovery of this Bird in Hudfon’s- 
Bay during the Summer, is, I think, a fufiicient Proof that thefe are Birds of PaiTage, and 
change their Situation juft as the Stork doth in Europe ; going Northward to breed in the 
Summer, and returning to the South at the Approach of Winter. As Mr. Catefl,y has figured 
only the Head of this Bird, and I have difcovered fomething more of its Nature, and given 
the whole Figure in Miniature, 1 hope it will be acceptable. It is a Crane of the firft Magni- 
tude, and altogether different from the European Crane. 
The 
