324 
REPORT OF THE CHIEF OF ENGINEERS. 
They breed in many of the sub-alpine yalleys, where are found meadows of sufficient 
extent to afford both food and protection, and to these and the tule swamps they 
mainly limit themselves and the young till the latter are able to shift for themselves. 
In some localities where such resorts are not available, an occasional pair of old birds 
may be seen accompanied by a young one or two feeding on the grassy plain or open 
stretches of valley, where plenty of food is found in the shape of grasshoppers. Let 
once an Indian catch sight of one of these families and he makes short work of the 
young birds, which are readily secured from horseback, or even run down afoot. 
Towards fall the cranes become more numerous, or, at least, more.conspicuous, and in 
the region mentioned form a part of everyday scene, as in small companies they feed 
about in open view or fly in long lines from one valley to another, uttering their in¬ 
describably odd notes. 
I know of no other bird that carries its instinct of caution to so great an extent as 
does the crane; and he must be careful indeed or greatly favored by fortune who ob¬ 
tains a shot at one. 
The crane is usually held to be delectable fare ; but my own experiments upon them, 
as served up in camp style, have not been entirely satisfactory, and I have found them 
tough and somewhat too gamey to bear the test of even a mountain appetite. 
RALLIDiE— Rails. 
Porzana Vieillot. 
P. Carolina, Cab. Carolina Rail. 
Found throughout the summer, but apparently not so common as the succeeding 
species. 
Rallus Linnaeus. 
B. virginianus (L.). Virginia Rail. 
Numerous about all the marshy lakes. 
Fulica Linnaeus. 
F. americana (6m.), Coot. 
An extremely abundant summer resident of all the lakes, large and small, of this} 
region. 
z*I hey begin to build, about Washoe Lake, Nevada, the middle of May, at which date 
but few eggs had been laid, the majority of the pairs being still engaged upon their 
nests. 
1 heir nests and nesting habits are too well known to need description here. A clutch 
consists of from seven to twelve eggs. The latter number, however, is very excep¬ 
tional, nine being perhaps the average nestfull. 
ANATIDiE—Ducks, Geese. 
Cygnus Linnaeus. 
C. americanUs, Sharpless. Whistling Swan. 
The swans are among the latest migrants from the north, and hence come too late 
to tall under observation of our field parties. 
With the approach of cold weather they occur in most or all the large lakes of this 
region, as well also upon many of the large streams. 
. Ifc » certain that the above species occurs as stated, and, in all likelihood, the C. buc¬ 
cinator is also found at the same time. 
Anser Liumeus. 
A. gambeli (Hartl.). Speckle-bellied Goose. 
Towards the last of August in Northern California this species began to arrive from 
date th 111 con8ldera ble numbers. It becomes very abundant at a somewhat later 
A. hgpei-boreus, Pall. Snow Goose. 
The Fhen & f ^ P rc , cedin 8> a “ d P erha P s in rathei- fewer numbers, 
t he Chen (G hen Bossi) has been found by Captain Bendire at Malheur Lake Oreo-on 
Tat" ^The > naffi^winte 1 ^ occurrence as a migrant on the intS’chaiO 
numerous la the Sucra- 
