Nebraska OmitJiolo^ists' Union 61 



near the Reserve I failed to find them, which may, in 

 part at least, account for the absence of positive breed- 

 ing records. The terns were nsually found along the 

 river, darting through the air in graceful, swallow-like 

 flight or moving (juietly over the stream with eyes intent 

 on the water, ready at an instant's notice for a lightning- 

 like descent upon some luckless fish. When not thus en- 

 gaged they could be seen standing singly or in a row 

 along the edge of a sandbar, heading into the wind and 

 motionless except when now and then one would busy 

 itself with preening its feathers. 



5. Pclecaiius crythrorhynchos Gmelin. — White Pelican. 



This pelican was noted by R. H. Wolcott at Halsey. No 

 other records are at hand. 



6. Mcrgiis amcricanus Cassin — Merganser. 



On May 21, 1912. I saw five Mergansers on the Middle 

 Loup and watched them for some time as they swam 

 about in the stream. Finally, one by one, they emerged 

 on to a low sandbar near the far shore of the river, and, 

 burying their heads in their back feathers, they settled 

 down for a peaceful nap from which they were soon 

 rudely awakened by something which must have alarmed 

 them for with one accord they straightened their necks, 

 leaped into the air and sped away up stream. This date 

 is a rather late one for the occurrence of this duck in 

 Nebraska as it is one of the earlier migrants to pass 

 through the state on the way to its breeding grounds. 



7. Anas platyrhynchos Linnaeus — Mallard. 



The Mallard was found only during migration although 

 it breeds commonly in localities throughout the state. I 

 saw a flock of these ducks on June 10, 1911, and another 

 on August 25, 1912, both on the river near the Reserve. 

 M. H. Swenk noted a flock of twenty-five on the Loup 

 October 28, 1910, and a smaller flock on the following day. 

 Although but a migrant the species is undoubtedly of reg- 

 ular occurrence. 



8. Chaulclasmus strc perns (Linnaeus) — Gadwall. 



Two ducks of the present species were noted on the 

 Middle Loup river on June 14, 1912, two on June 19 on 

 the same stream but several miles farther up, and a single 

 bird on June 24 near the place where the last two were 



