50 NEBRASKA ORNITHOLOGISTS' UNION 



25 insects per day, the enormous number of ionr billions of insects or 

 35,000 bushels of 120,000 insects would be required during- each day to 

 feed the yovmg birds alone. But young birds need much more food than 

 do old ones and we should at least double this quantity for the young- 

 birds. Then to this must l)e added that required by the parent birds 

 themselves while taking- care of the young-, making- a grand total of 

 86,000 bushels or 107 car loads of 20 tons each, provided we allow 50 

 pounds as the weight of a bushel. 



Some of these birds are exceedingly numerous in individuals, while 

 others are comparatively rare. Some exhibit greater, while others 

 show less ingenuity in the biiilding of their nests. Some are naturally 

 protected by coloration, while others purposely take great precaution 

 in hiding their homes. Taking all in all, the assignment to their par- 

 ticular places among those that are occupied by different birds while 

 rearing their young- depends greatly on their food habits and bodily 

 structure desci-ibed in another paper. 



The following lists will in a measure indicate the comparative abun- 

 dance and distribution of our native Nebraska birds: 



I. — A LIST OF THE VABIOUS BIRDS THAT HAVE ACTUALLY BEEN FOUND 

 BREEDING WITHIN THE STATE, TOGETHER WITH SOME BRIEF NOTES CONCERN- 

 ING THEIB OCCURRENCE 



3. Colymbns auritus Linn. — Horned Grebe. Cherry Co., in alkali lakes 



(Bates, Trostler), not rare. 



4. Colyvihus nigricoIHs calif ornicus (Heerm.). — American Eared Grebe. 



Near Omaha (I. S. Trostler); Cherry Co. (J. S. Hunter), not com- 

 mon. 

 6. PodUim'bus podiceps (Linn.). — Pied-billed Grebe; Helldiver; Dabchick. 

 Common over state. 



54. Larus delowarensis Ord. — Eing-billed Gull. Cherry Co. (J. M. Bates). 



69. Sterna forsteri Nutt. — Forster's Tern. Swan Lake (L. Bruner) ; 

 Cherry Co. (J. M. Bates), not common. 



74. Sterna antillarum (Less.). — Least Tern. Near Omaha (L. Skow). 



77. HydrocheJidon nigra surinamensis (Gmel.). — Black Tern. North and 

 central part of state, common. 

 129. Merganser americunus (Cass.). — American Merganser. Cherrj^ Co. (J- 

 M. Bates); West Point (L. Bruner). 



131. Lophodytes cuculhitus (Linn.). — Hooded Merganser. Cherrj^ Co. (J. 



M. Bates). 



132. Anas hoscJias Linn. — Mallard. Not uncommon over state in suitable 



places. 

 135. Chaulchismus streperns (Linn.). — Gadwall. Holt Co. (L. Bruner). 

 137. Mareca- americana (Gmel.). — Baldpate; American Widgeon. Cherry 



Co. (J. M. Bates), 

 140. Querquedula discors (Linn.). — Blue-winged Teal. Common over the 



state (numerous record?;). 

 142. Spatula clypeata (Linn.). — Shoveller Duck. Common over the state 



(numerous records). 



