Although the samples of known breeding birds were small and the spread 
of measurement values indicated by the statistical analysis is probably 
greatey than would be the case with a larger number of birds, there was 
very little similarity between the sizes of the hunted cranes and the 
known breeding sample of greater sandhills. Eight adults and one 
immature male and one adult and one immature female bird of the sample 
measured in the checking station had a single measurement each which 
was closer in terms of percent of probability to the collection of 
breeding greater sandhills than to the lessers. In the other two 
measurements they were closer to lesser sandhills. 
Table 2. --Measurements of Greater Sandhill Cranes 
(Breeding Adults) 

_ Culmen : 
Wing from | Tar- Middle 
Sex Locality Date Chord Tail posterior sus’ toe 
| end of without 
nostril claw 
o N.Dak. : Rock L. June 12,1895 523 189 99..5: 249 79.5 
co Idaho: “Henry' s Lake " 10, 1957 526 200 116 231 82 
re) " ; Gray's Lake May 26, 1951 540 208 101 243 = 86 
So Calif.:Fort Crook Apr.20, 1860 553 205 105 264 88 
@ N.Dak.:Towner Co. June 10, 1895 537 197 99 238 80 
9 Oreg.:Lake Co.,Adel May 30, 1925 510 185 97 237° = 79 
9 Mich.:Seney Refuge Aug.26, 1959 490 183 =101 221 75 
2 cy u " 22, 1960 520 204 103 223 = =79 
? be " a " 18, 1960 490 190° 98.5 229 80.5 


A few weights of cranes taken on the breeding grounds are available 
in Walkinshaw's (1949) monograph. Weights of 6 male greaters range from 
10 lbs. 8 oz. to 13 lbs.; 3 females from 9 lbs. 4 oz. to 11 lbs. The 
single weight given for a true lesser sandhill from Alaska was 6 lbs. 
12 oz. Weights of sandhill cranes taken for banding at Bosque del Apache 
Refuge, identified as greaters on combined characters, were all 10 lbs. 
or over. ‘Weights of sandhills identified as lessers banded at Bitter 
Lake Refuge were all 8 lbs. 13 oz. or under. 
The weights of all cranes checked during the hunting season are 
listed in Appendix. The maximum was 8 lbs. 12 oz. The average weight 
of 46 adult males was 7 lbs. 12 oz. and of 50 adult females, 7 lbs. 1 oz. 
Examination of all data leads to the conclusion that all sandhill cranes 
in normal flesh and weighing over 10 lbs. are greaters and all under 
9 Ibs. are lessers. 
From cranes checked during the hunting season, the average length 
of the bill. from posterior end of the nostril was 75.7 mm. on the adult 
males and 71.2 mm. on the adult females. The most significant difference 
9 
