BIOLOGICAL PAPERS. 151 



STATISTICS ABOUT KANSAS BIRDS. 



By D. E. Lantz, Manhattan. 

 Read before the Academy, at Topeka, January 2, 1903. 



SINCE the publication of my "Historical List of the Birds of Kan- 

 sas," in volume XVI of our Transactions, there have been three 

 additions to the list, all reported by Dr. R. Matthews, of Wichita. 

 These additions are the Roseate Spoonbill, Ajaja ajaja (Linn.); the 

 Black Duck, Anas ohscura Gmel.; and the Old-squaw, Clangula 

 hy emails (Linn.) Specimens of all these are in the possession of 

 residents of Wichita. These additions bring the number of species 

 and varieties now credited to Kansas up to 354, a number greater than 

 that usually found in an inland state. 



Lists of the birds of many of the different states have been pub- 

 lished. A comparison of these lists is of interest, since it shows a sur- 

 prising variation in the number of birds credited to states that are 

 similar as to location and physical conditions. Colorado and Wyo- 

 ming lie side by side, are of nearly the same size, and have similari- 

 ties of elevation. Yet the former is credited with 387 species and 

 varieties of birds, while the latter has but 288. The difference is 

 principally due to the large number of southern forms which extend 

 into southern Colorado. The lists of both states were made with 

 great care, and probably few forms were included for which there is 

 not ample warrant in the existence of the skin or mounted bird. 



A similar comparison of the lists of Kansas and Nebraska should 

 show a j)reponderance of numbers for Kansas, on account of the 

 Texan forms which extend into this state. But the actual number on 

 the Nebraska list is 415, while Kansas has but S54. Some explana- 

 tion of this difference ought to be found. This i^robably lies in the 

 principle upon which the list is made up. The Nebraska list is 

 made up from the local and state lists of a considerable number of 

 observers, and includes all that these observers reported. Baird's 

 citations in the Pacific Railroad Reports, volume 9, of specimens from 

 Nebraska, refer to a time when Nebraska territory extended much be- 

 yond its present limits. Such citations as to Kansas would add a 

 considerable number of forms to our list. But in every case of such 

 citations I studied the itinerary of the expedition credited with the 

 bird's capture, and if such capture occurred outside of Kan.sas it was 

 rejected from our list. Then, too, there have been changes of nomen- 

 clature and new varieties created in the list of North American birds. 

 Early observers reported birds which later researches show were va- 



