BIOLOGICAL PAPERS. 159 



1. In regard to A^ias ohseura — the Black Duck — Professor Lantz; 

 refuses to admit it to his list, stating that "evidence of its occurrence 

 is entirely wanting and it should be dropped from our list." I con- 

 sider this statement as an unwarranted imputation upon the ornitho- 

 logical ability of the professor of natural history in the University of 

 Kansas, who personally identified this species, as above stated. And 

 yet Professor Lantz gives credit to Lieutenant Abert for "first rec- 

 ord" of Sayortiis p/uelte, from his mention of a "gray bird" and his 

 description of its nest, and allows other "first records" upon evi- 

 dence equally unscientific. 



2. Professor Lantz gives "Snow, 1872, on authority of Baird," first 

 record for Branta canadensis hutchinsii, (No. 48.) He does not 

 state that in my third edition, 1875, this bird was given on my own 

 authority, a specimen having been taken April 3, 1873, at Lawrence, 

 by Nelson J. Stephens, a student in my class in zoology. 



3. In regard to Plegadis guarauna, (No. 52,) first record should 

 have been given to me, as I reported it to the Kansas Academy of 

 Science at the thirteenth annual meeting, at TojDeka, November 12, 

 1880, in a paper entitled "The Last New Kansas Bird." An account 

 of the capture of this bird, which was skinned by me and has been 

 for more than twenty years a mounted specimen in the museuni of 

 the University of Kansas, was given in the Lawrence newspapers at 

 the time. 



4. How does Professor Lantz know that the Sandhill Crane, ( No. 

 65,) whose first record is by him credited to Gregg, 1844, was not the 

 Little Brown Crane, Orus canadensis^ 



5. Gallinula galeata, the Florida Gallinule, (No. 72,) is credited 

 to me "on authority of Baird." If Prof essor Lantz had consulted me, 

 he could have included this species upon my own authority, as I took 

 a specimen on Hackberry creek, in Gove county, Kansas, June 14, 

 1878, (See Trans. Kan. Acad. Sci., vol. X., p. 80, for a published 

 record of this fact.) 



6. Himantopus mexicanus, (No. 77.) This species, reported as 

 "seen," is not entitled to admission to a list based upon actual cap- 

 tures. 



7. Macrorhamphus scolopaceus, (No. 80,) is credited to me on 

 authority of Brewer. It was given in my third edition, 1875, on my 

 own authority, a specimen having been taken at Lawrence by my 

 student, William Osburn, October 3, 1871, and another by student 

 Bion H. Barnett, April 19, 1873. 



8. Professor Lantz places an interrogation point after the citation 

 of Tringa canutus, (No. 82,) as given in my catalogue of 1872. 

 There can be no question about the authenticity of this record, as I 



