Family Gruide
CRANES.
The Cranes number about eighteen species, of which three are North American, while the remaining fifteen inhabit the Old World. They frequent plains and marshes, and are omnivorous feeders, eating frogs, lizards, field-mice, snakes, etc., and various kinds of vegetable food. Our species migrate in flocks, but are solitary rather than gregarious at other times of the year. Their voice is loud and resonant. 204. Grus americana (Linn.). WHOOPING CRANE; WHITE CRANE. Ad. Top of the head, lores, and sides of the throat dull red, with a thin growth of black "hairs"; primaries black, rest of the plumage white. Im.- Similar, but whole head feathered, and the plumage more or less washed with buffy ochraceous. L., 50.00; W., 25.00; Tar., 11.50; B., 5.00. COURLANS.
Range.-Interior of North America; breeds from Illinois northward; winters in the Gulf States. Washington, A. V., one record.
Nest, of grasses and weed stalks, on the ground in marshy places. Eggs, two, olive-gray, spotted and blotched with distinct and obscure cinnamonbrown markings, 4.00 x 2.50. A rather rare species east of the Mississippi. "In flight their long necks and stiltlike legs are stretched out in a line with the body to the full extent, moving strongly with slowly beating wings, but not swiftly, often circling spiral-like to a great height. They occasionally bunch up, and I have seen them in triangular form; but as a rule they travel in single file, following their leader in a wavy line, croaking as they go, like hounds upon a cold trail" (Goss). ...
The LITTLE BROWN CRANE (205. Grus canadensis) breeds from Hudson Bay to Alaska, and winters in Texas and Mexico. There are but two instances of its occurrence east of the Mississippi (Rhode Island and South Carolina). It resembles mexicana, but is smaller; W. 18-50; B., 4-10. 206. Grus mexicana (Müll.). SANDHILL CRANE; BROWN CRANE. Ad.-Whole top of the head to below the eyes covered with rough, minutely warty, dull reddish skin thinly grown with short, black "hairs"; plumage brownish gray, with more or less silvery gray and buffy ochraceous. Im.- Similar, but whole head feathered, and with more buffy ochraceous in the plumage. "L., 40-00-48.00; W., 21.83; Tar., 10 25; B., 5-47" (Ridgw.).