a pair of tame birds of this species, which, as they advanced in age,
changed their colours from grey to white."
GRUS AMERICANA, Ch. Bonaparte, Synops. of Birds of the United States, p. 302
Swains, and Richards. Fauna-Bor. Amer. part ii. p. 372.
"WHOOPING CRANE, ÁRDEA AMERICANA, Wils. Airier. Ornith. vol. vii. p. 20. pi. 64.
fig. 3. Adult.
GRUS CANADENSIS, BROWN CRANE, Swains, and Richards. Fauna-Bor. Amer. part ii.
p. 373.
Adult Male. Plate CCXXVI.
Bill long, straight, rather slender, but strong, compressed, pointed.
Upper mandible with the dorsal line nearly straight, a little concave at
the middle, slightly declínate toward the tip, the ridge flat and rather
broad as far as the middle, the sides sloping, towards the end convex,
with a wide groove filled by a soft membrane, and extending nearly twothirds
of its length, the edges sharp but thick for two-thirds of its length,
and very slightly serrated. Nostrils lateral, placed at about a third of the
length of the bill from its base, oblong, large, pervious. Lower mandible
with the angle narrow and very long, the sides perpendicular at the base,
the edges straight and sharp.
Head small, compressed. Eyes of moderate size. Neck very long.
Body rather slender. Feet very long; tibia long, bare to a large extent,
and covered with transverse series of rectangular scales ; tarsus very long,
rather compressed, covered anteriorly with numerous oblique scutella,
posteriorly with large, and laterally with small scales; toes rather small;
the first very small, secoud and fourth nearly equal, third considerably
longer, the third and fourth connected at the base by a web of considerable
size, all margínate, covered above with numerous narrow scutella,
beneath broad, flattened, and granulate; claws of moderate size, strong,
considerably curved, rather compressed, that of hind toe much smaller,
second and third largest, the latter with a groove on its inner edge.
Fore and upper part of head to the occiput papular, and covered only
with small hairs, as are the sides of .the head. The plumage in general
is soft, but distinctly imbricated ; the feathers rounded, those of the neck
short. Wings ample; the second primary longest, third and fourth nearly
as long, first longer than fifth ; inner secondaries and their coverts curved
downwards, forming a beautiful bunch of loosely barbed feathers. Tail
short, rounded, of twelve broad rounded feathers.
Bill dusky, towards the base yellow. Iris yellow. Bare part of head
carmine, with the hairs black. Feet black. The plumage is pure white,
excepting the alula, primaries, and primary coverts, which are brownishblack.
Length to end of tail 54 inches; to end of wings 53, to end of claws 65;
extent of wings 92; wing from flexure 22£ ; tail 7 ; bill along the ridge
along the edge of the lower mandible 5T*g, bare part of tibia 5;
tarsus 11 middle toe 4£, its claw | .
The Young after its first autumnal moult has the sides of the head
feathered behind the eye, and beneath to the base of the lower mandible;
the curved secondaries and their coverts are tapering and elongated, but
not nearly so much developed as in the old birds. The skin of the head
is red; the bill brownish-black, as are the feet. Chin and sides of the
head greyish-white. The plumage generally is bluish-grey, but the feathers
are largely tipped and margined with yellowish-brown ; the primary
quills and their coverts dark brown towards the end ; but with brownishwhite
shafts ; the abdomen pure greyish-blue.
As the bird advances in age, the yellowish-brown disappears, and the
general colour of the plumage becomes pure bluish-grey, which ultimately
changes to white.
The trachea, which is 13 inches long to its entrance between the crura
of the furcula, passes into a cavity in the sternum, where it curves so as
to describe two-thirds of a circle, returns on the right side, and enters
the thorax by curving backwards. The cavity in the sternum is 2 inches
long, with an equal depth, and a breadth of f inch. The ridge of the keel
is at its fore part f in breadth, and contracts to ^ inch at its junction with
the angle of the furcula, which is continuous with it. The gizzard is of
moderate size; the intestine, which is thin and small, measures 5 feet in
length. Boston specimen.