SOME NOTES ON NEBRASKA BIRDS. 5^ 



May and September (Taylor); " Western North America, east to the Mississippi 

 river" (Goss); east to the Mississippi valley (Ridgeway); Omaha — breeding (L, 

 Skow); a common migrant — a few breeding in Florence and Cut-ofF lakes near 

 Omaha (I. S. Trostler). 



6. Podilymbus podiceps (Linn.). — Pied-billed Grebe; Hell- 



diver; Dabchick. 



Common over most of the state (L. Bruner); " Migratory, rare " (Taylor); 

 "British Provinces southward into South America" (Goss); The whole of 

 America (Ridgeway); Omaha — breeding (L. Skow); Gage county (F. A. Colby); 

 "an abundant migrant and common breeder " (I. S. Trostler). 



Family URINATORIDiE.— The Loons. 



7. Urinator imber (Gunn.). — Loon. 



West Point, Nebr. , Omaha, Nebr. (L. Bruner); not common, "Migratory, 

 common, arrive the first of April and in September and October" (Taylor); 

 "Northern part of the northern hemisphere" (Goss); Omaha, Rockport (L. 

 Skow); Lincoln (Brezee); "Migrant, not rare " (I. S. Trostler). 



11. Urinator lumme (Gunn.). — Red-throated Diver. 



Missouri river at Omaha (L. Skow); "a rare migrant, one killed on the- 

 Missouri river near Bellevue, Sept. 28, 1894" (L S. Trostler). 



Family STERCORARIID-ai.— Skuas and Jaegers. 

 36. Stercorarius pomarinus [Temm.). — Pomarine Jaeger. 



"Twice seen in Nebraska" (Aughey); "one shot at North Platte, Nov. II, 

 1895" (M. K. Barnum); " Seas and inland waters of northern portions of the 

 northern hemisphere, south in winter to Africa, Australia, and probably South. 

 America (A. O. U. Check List). 



Order LONGIPENNES. — The Long- winged Swimmers.. 



Family LARIDiE. — Gulls and Terns. 



The gulls, on account of their long wings and powers for flight, are 

 not confined to the sea coast, hence they reach far inland in their mi- 

 grations, feeding extensively upon insects like locusts, June beetles, 

 crickets, etc., large numbers of which they destroy. Several kinds of 

 these birds are known to follow the plow and pick up large numbers- 

 of white-grubs and other insects that are laid bare. In early days, 

 when grasshoppers did much harm in this state, large flocks of these 

 birds were seen to feed upon the insects. 



