536 
THE WHOOPING CRANE. 
secondaries are much elongated, and hang over the primaries and tail-feathers. In height the 
Demoiselle Crane is about three feet six inches. 
The Crowned Crane is even more striking than the demoiselle, its coronet of golden 
plumes and the scarlet cheeks making it a very conspicuous bird. 
This species is a native of Northern and Western Africa, where it is usually found in 
swampy and marshy localities, which it frequents for the purpose of feeding on the insects, 
mollusks, reptiles, and fishes which are to be caught abundantly in such places. Like the 
demoiselle, the Crowned Crane occasionally indulges in fantastic gambols, and on account of 
the conspicuous crest and general aspect of the bird, they have an effect even more ludicrous. 
In captivity the Crowned Crane thrives well, and its habits can be readily watched. At 
the Zoological Gardens there are some fine specimens of these birds, and an hour may be 
pleasantly spent in watching their proceedings. Sometimes they rest still and stately, one 
leg tucked under them quite out of sight, and the body balanced on the other. Sometimes 
they like to sit on their bent legs, their feet projecting far in front of them, and their knees, or 
rather their ankles, sustaining the weight of the body. At another time they will walk 
majestically about their inclosure, or begin their absurd dances, while a very favorite amuse- 
ment is to run races at opposite sides of the wire fence, and then come to a halt, each bird 
trying which can yell the loudest. The voice is very loud, and has something of a trumpet in 
its hollow ringing resonance. 
The forehead is black, the feathers being short and velvety. From the top of the head 
rises a tuft of long straight filamentary plumes^ of a golden hue, fringed with very delicate 
black barbules. The skin of the cheek is bare, and the greater part of it is bright scarlet, the 
upper part being white, and running into a small wattle on the throat. The general color of 
the plumage is slaty -gray, and the primaries and quill-feathers of the tail are black, the long 
secondaries are brown and the wing-coverts snowy- white. The height of this species is about 
four feet. * 
The Whooping Crane ( Grus americana). The habitat of this bird is the restricted 
region of the middle of North America. It ranges up the Mississippi valley, spreading through 
fur countries. It is also found in Texas and Florida, and occasionally up the coast to the 
Middle States. Dr. Turnbull states that in Wilson’s time it bred in New Jersey. It is thought 
to breed from Dakota and Minnesota northward. This is the largest and most stately bird in 
this country. It is not equalled, perhaps, unless the largest wild turkey may be about the 
size. The long neck and long legs are features that render the Crane much the more imposing. 
Dr. Coues says of it : 44 1 have only seen it on the broad prairies, or soaring on motionless pinions 
in spiral curves high overhead. Its immense stature is sometimes singularly exaggerated by 
that quality of the prairie air which magnifies distant objects on the horizon, transforming 
sometimes a bird into a man, or making a wild turkey excite suspicion of a buffalo.” 
This Crane is extremely shy and vigilant, so that it is very difficult to approach. It some- 
times rises to a great height, its voice being heard when it is even out of sight. On such occa- 
sions several fly around in large circles, as if reconnoitering the country to a vast extent for a 
fresh quarter to feed in. Their flesh is said to be well tasted. 
44 Cranes are distinguished from all other families of birds by the comparative baldness of 
their heads, the broad flag of plumage projecting over the tail, and in general by their superior 
size. They also differ in internal organization. The length of this bird is four feet six inches, 
from the point of the bill to the end of the tail, and when standing erect, it measures nearly 
five feet. The bill is six inches long, straight, and extremely sharp ; the forehead, whole crown 
and cheeks are covered with a warty skin, thinly interspersed with black hairs ; head is of an 
ash color ; the rest of the plumage, pure white, the primaries excepted, which are black. From 
the root of each wing arises numerous large, flowing feathers, projecting over the tail and tips 
of the wings ; the uppermost of them are broad, drooping, and pointed at the extremities ; 
some of them are also loosely webbed, their silky fibres curling inward, like those of an ostrich ,* 
they seem to occupy the place of the tertials.” — Wilson. 
