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ORNITHOLOGIST 



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VOL. XIII. 



BOSTON, MASS., APRIL, 1888. 



No. 4. 



Notes on Nebraska Birds. 



KY W. KDGAK TAYLOR AND A. H. VAN VLEF.T, 

 I'ERU, NEBRASKA. 



With this muiiber of the O. & O. we begin a 

 .series of artieles. " Notes on Nebraslia Birds." 



Tlic only iniblislied records niiide on the 

 birds of Nebraska are found in " Birds of Xorth 

 America," Vol. I, 18.56, by Baird, C'assin and 

 Lawrence; also in Annual Report of United 

 States Entomological Commission, 1877, is an 

 article by Dr. Samuel Aughey, entitled, " Aug- 

 hey on Locust Feeding Birds." These records 

 are very unsatisfactory and incomplete, as 

 well as somewhat out of date, being classified 

 under the old nomenclature. In the articles 

 now published, we have endeavored, by 

 freely using information from every source, to 

 bring up the past records, as well as add addi- 

 tional notes made by ourselves or reliable par- 

 ties. When a species is well known and gener- 

 ally distributed, no mention is made of the va- 

 rious references, but when the species is thought 

 to be rare, or only mentioned by one or two, 

 the authorities are quoted. 



Acknowledgements are due the Normal Sci- 

 ence Society for the use of their records and 

 collections; also Dr. L.E. Hicks, State Univer- 

 sity, for special favors, and to others whose 

 names are given in the proper places. 



The numbers in parentheses refer to corres- 

 ponding numbers and names in the check list of 

 the American Ornithological Union, 1886. 



We should he pleased to receive information 

 of any kind and from any source, with refer- 

 ence to Nebraska birds, from those reading 

 these articles. 



3. ColymbiiK aurilus (Linn). Horned Grebe. 

 Not reported as found in Nebraska, but as it is 

 a widely distributed species and is found in all 

 surrounding territory, doubtless exists in the 

 State. Rare and perhaps migratory. 



I 



4. C. niyricoUis cali/vnikus (Heerm). Amer- 

 ican Eared Grebe. Rather abundant, especially 

 on the Platte and Missouri. (Aughey). Col- 

 lected on Snake River and at Ft. Berthold. 

 (Baird). Anive in May and September. May 

 breed in Western Nebraska. 



6. Podihjmhus podiceps (Linn). Pied-billed 

 Grebe. This bird seems to be rare in Nebraska. 

 It is not reported by either Aughey or Baird, 

 and is scarcely seen by any one. It is found in 

 Iowa, breeds in Kansas, where Goss mentions 

 it as abundant in migration. McChesney says 

 "' it is common in all the small lakes of Dakota, 

 and breeds in the tall grass." Arrives in Kan- 

 sas last of April to the first of May; in Dakota 

 about May first and lenves the last of October. 



7. Urinatiir imber (Gunn). Loon. Common 

 early in the spring for about a month. Arrive 

 about the time the ice breaks on the streams, 

 usually by the first of April. Not seen again 

 till September or October. 



36. Stercorarius pomarinns (Temm). Pom- 

 arine Jjeger. Dr. Aughey mentions seeing this 

 bird in Dakota County in May, 1869, also in May 

 1873. Very rare, at present, if found within 

 the State. 



47. Larus nmrinns (Linn). Great Black- 

 backed Gull. Dr. Aughey mentions one spec- 

 imen shot on the Missouri in May, 1871. 



51. L. arrjentatus smithsoiiiannfi (Coues). 

 American Herring Gull. Connnon during spring 

 migration. Arrive about the first of May, and 

 sometimes stay till first of July. 



54. L. delawarensis (Ord). Ring-billea Gull. 

 Common from the first of May till June and 

 July. Seen in flocks. Baird mentions two 

 sjiecimens as collected on the Laramie, July 23, 

 1857. 



59. L.fmnklinii (Sw. & Rich). Franklin's 

 Gull. Very abundant during migrations. Ar- 

 rive the first of April, some remaining as late as 

 July. Return in September and October. The 

 records of the Normal Science Society show 

 this gull to be most plentiful in May. Baird 



Copyright, 1888, by F. H. Cahpenteb and F. B. Webster. 



