90 NEBRASKA ORNITHOLOGISTS' UNION 



manded that his teaching- cover the whole range of physical and bio- 

 logical sciences, and whose work in the light of the conditions under 

 whicli he worked was well done. Many of his identifications have been 

 rendered invalid b_y the changes in nomenclatiire since his day, but this 

 need cause no confusion. W. E. Taylor, in the Report of the State 

 Board of Agriculture for 1887, and also, in the "Ornitholog'ist and 

 Oologist" for 1888, published lists of Nebraska Birds which added to the 

 number recorded for the state, but which could have been made of far 

 greater value had the author distinguished more carefully between 

 his own knowledge and inferences from the ^vork of others and from 

 statements made in g-eneral works on the subject. In 1896 Professor 

 Bruner compiled the list of our birds which we are at present using 

 as the basis of our work. His work was done with characteristic en- 

 ergy and resulted in the accumulation of a remarkably large number of 

 records obtained from observers all over the state. He made no at- 

 tempt, however, to estimate the value of the various statements made, 

 but limited his duties to those of a compiler, and jjart of our work is 

 now to judge the material he has accumulated and in the knowledge 

 gained by our ov^^n etforts find means of separating the false from the 

 true. It is fitting that we should acknowledge the great value of the 

 work Professor Bruner has done; it may also hasten the progress of 

 the work we have to do if we place definitely before ourselves the 

 questions suggested by liis Avork and which we must solve. 



The following- birds included in the list have never been reported as 

 taken within the present limits of Nebraska, though some of them were 

 reported from "Northwest Nebraska" at a time when "Nebraska" in- 

 cluded most of what is now Montana and Wyoming: 



62. Sabine's Gull. 

 2976. Eichardson's Grouse. 

 373c. Eocky Mountain Screech Owl. 

 549.1. Nelson's Sparrow. 

 5546. Gambel's Sparrow. 

 578. Cassin's Sparrow. 

 590. Green-tailed ToAvhee. 

 7196. Baird's Wren. 

 738. Mountain Chickadee. 

 761ff. Western Eobin. 

 767. Western Bluebird (Bruner cites Aughey in error). 



The following were inti-oduced into the list on erroneous identifica- 

 tions: 



511. Purple Grackle. 

 5286. Greater Kedpoll. 



675. Water Thrush (Aughey's record antedates the separation of Cirin- 

 nell's Water Thursh, which is our form). 



The following birds are included on evidence which is doubtful and 

 their right to a place in our list has not since been verified: 

 47. Great Black-backed Gull. 



