60 Proceedings of the 



absence of lakes and marshes, since most of these are shore 

 and water birds). 



There is little to add here to this discussion. In gen- 

 eral it appears that the brush and thicket inhabiting birds 

 prefer such places in the valley and that the open country 

 birds are better suited in the hills. This is not entirely 

 due to the greater abundance of the accustomed habitat 

 in the preferred region because many of the thickets in 

 the hills are fully as dense and secluded as those in the 

 valleys, and, on the other hand, there is much open coun- 

 try in the valle^^s. Undoubtedly a detailed study of the 

 various habitats in the regions throughout the state will 

 bring to light much that will aid in explaining these facts 

 but such a detailed study I will leave for other and later 

 treatment and will allow the following list to stand as it is. 



1. Lams dclazvarensis Ord — Ring-billed Gull. 



On August 28, 1911, I saw a single gull of this species 

 winging its way along the Loup river, and on May 21, the 

 following year, I saw another bird in much the same sit- 

 uation. The species is probably only a migrant in this 

 vicinity although it remains throughout the summer in 

 the lake region of Cherry county, adjoining Thomas 

 county on the north. 



2. Lams frankUni Richardson — Franklin Gull. 



R. H. Wolcott reports this gull migrating at Halsey. I 

 have never noted the species there nor have I other rec- 

 ords of its occurrence there. 



3. Sterna forsteri Nuttall — Forster Tern. This bird is also a 

 migrant, being reported by R. H. Wolcott alone. 



4. Hydrochclidon nigra surinamensis (Gmelin) — Black Tern, 



The Black Tern may breed in suitable situations in the 

 region under consideration but I did not succeed in find- 

 ing any indications of the fact, although there were birds 

 present in small numbers up until June 10. None were 

 seen after that date until July 31, from which time they 

 were again noted until Augnst 9. The species breeds 

 quite commonly in Cherry county and other favorable 

 localities over the state, including parts of the sandhills, 

 and might very well breed on the Reserve also in the 

 presence of reedy ponds and marshes such as occur else- 

 where alongthe Loup river. If any such marshes are 



