148 



ORNITHOLOGIST 



[Vol. 13-No. 10 



two and occasionally foui". Sometimes a nest 

 is built, at otliers tlie eggs are deposited upon 

 the bare ground, or upon the dead flags of the 

 year before, in such instances it takes a keen 

 eye to discover them, as they are almost the 

 color of the flags. Eggs brownish-olive, spotted 

 and blotched with different shades of brown. 

 Pyriform in shape. 



16. Phalacrocorax dilophus (.Sw. & Rich). 

 Double-crested Cormorant. The only record is 

 that of Anthony and Smith, Jr., of Denver. 1 

 quote from the " Auk.'"* "About the 1st of 

 Nov. 188."), one of our daily papers mentioned a 

 bird called a ' Surf Coot,' which was on 

 exhibition at a certain restaurant in the city. 

 Mentioning the fact to Mr. Anthony, he started 

 in quest of information, only to learn that the 

 bird had been sold to some unknown person. 

 A few days later, however, he stumbled upon 

 the supposed " Surf Coot," in the possession of 

 an amateur collector, and on examination it 

 resolved itself into the Double-crested Cormor- 

 ant. We understand it was shot about twenty 

 miles from Denver." 



17. I'decamis rrythrorJiyncfius (Gmel). Am- 

 erican White Pelican. Reported by Drew, An- 

 thony and Smith (Loveland). Anthony marks 

 it a "transient visitant" and says. "A few 

 years ago this bird was not uncommon about 

 Denver, not found often now." It is migratory 

 and common in Northeastern Colorado. I have 

 never seen it as abundant anywhere as along 

 the North, and South Platte rivers. Breeds in 

 northern Wyoming, and Montana. One taken in 

 the San Luis valley, Oct. 1887. (Cockerell). 



18. Merganser americamis {Ca.Si'). American 

 Merganser. Marked ''transient visitant, com- 

 mon,'' by Anthony who seems to be the only one 

 that has observed it. Breeds from the northern 

 tier of states north. 



19. 3Ieryanserserrator{h\na). Red-breasted 

 Merganser. Migratory; common. Winters in 

 southern part of state, migrating to high lati- 

 tudes to breed. 



20. Lopliodytes cucnUatus (Linn). Hooded 

 Merganser. Reported as a transient visitant; 

 tolerably common, by Anthony. It bieeds in 

 the state in small numbers, in hollovi' logs, and 

 trees. Eggs six to twelve. I have found its 

 nest in various northern and southern localities, 

 east of the Rockies, and believe that the largest 

 sets of eggs are laid at its most southern breed- 

 ing point, the smallest at the north. A set 

 taken in northern New Mexico being my 

 largest, while in northern Montana I took the 

 smallest of six eggs. 



*Soine Additions to the Avi-fauna of Colorado, Auk, 

 Vol. Ill, No. 2, p. •284-2S6, 1886. 



21. Anas boschas (Linn). Mallard Duck. 

 Migratory; common. Without doubt breeds, as 

 it certainly does in Wyoming. Cockerell writes, 

 " Two specimens shot Sept. ISth 1887, were 

 found to have eaten large quantities of the 

 shell-like cases of the trirhopleroiis, genus 

 HeUceipsijehe^ which were abundant on the 

 stones in the creek." 



22. Anas obscura (Gmel). Black Duck. 

 Eastern Colorado. Reported by Capt. Thome. 



23. Anas strepera (Linn). Gadwall. Re- 

 ported by Smith, and Anthony, the latter says 

 it is a " transient visitant ; common." It breeds 

 in the sloughs and small lakes at 11,000 feet, in 

 southwestern Colorado. I secured ten young 

 from the La Plata river, unable to fly. These, 

 with the parent birds, came down from the 

 mountains. They started quite young on their 

 southern migration. 



24. Atlas americana (^Gniel). Baldpate. 

 Transient visitant. Tolerably common. Ob- 

 served by nearly all the members. Breeds 

 north, in Montana and northern Wyoming. 



2.'5. Anris earollnensis (Gmel). Green-wing- 

 ed Teal. A transient visitant, and not rare in 

 an}' part of the state. The earliest migrant, 

 both in spring and fall. Breeds north, in 

 Montana and British America, as far as Alaska. 

 Eggs greenish, 1.85 in length by 1.30 iu 

 breadth. 



20. ^l)i,as (^j'scors (Linn). Blue-winged Teal. 

 Summer visitant; common. Habits similar to 

 [)receding species. Nests on the ground, some- 

 times a long way from water. 



27. Anas cyanoptera Vieill. Cinnamon 

 Teal. A transient visitant ; tolerablj' common. 

 Observed by nearly all the members. It may 

 be found to breed in the mountains, as I have 

 seen them in July, in lakes among the La Plata 

 Mts. It would not be surprising as this is on 

 the Pacific slope, where it is said to be most 

 abundant. 



28. Spatula clypeata (Linn). Shoveller. 

 Summer resident ; breeds abundantly in western 

 part of state, not common, or rare in eastern. 

 Reported by all the members. Nest on ground, 

 near water, of grass lined with down from 

 breast of parent. Eggs average eight, although 

 six to ten are found. 



29. Aythya affinis (Eyt). Lesser Scaup 

 Duck. Transient visitant; much more common 

 than the preceding, and reported from both 

 eastern and western Colorado. Like the other 

 it goes far north to breed but many stop in 

 Montana. It also retires farther south in 

 winter. 



(To be continued.) 



