Annotated List of Sac County, Iowa 141 



1913 — First seen, April 13. Last seen, May 4. 



1914 — First seen, April 10. Last seen, . 



I cannot resist alluding- to the several outward resem- 

 blances, in habit and appearance, between shorelarks and 

 shorebirds (Liniicolac). The whistled " pe-u," appearance 

 while walking and running, and the partially ringed neck 

 of Otocoris all recall certain shorebirds ; and coupled with 

 the habit of associating with shorebirds during migration, 

 these resemblances are responsible for the destruction of 

 many larks by mistaken gunners. 



St. Lambert, Oue. 



ANNOTATED LIST OF THE WATER BIRDS, GAME 



BIRDS AND BIRDS OF PREY OF SAC 



COUNTY. IOWA. 



By J. A. Spurrell. 



My purpose in writing this list is to place on record per- 

 sonal observations, which if trusted to memory or even to 

 note-books would be lost, and also much data gathered from 

 the pioneers of the county, which is much more valuable than 

 my own observations. 



Aly personal interest in birds dates from my early child- 

 hood. When I first began to keep a record of the species 

 identified in July, 1907, I had a local list of about fifty spe- 

 cies. My first Reed's Bird Guides were purchased in 1906. 

 They had been preceded by a complete file of " Birds and 

 Nature " and were followed by many other bird books. After 

 that my local list grew steadily until it now numbers one 

 hundred sixty-five species. In my own identifications I have 

 used extreme care in making records of species, excluding- 

 everything doubtful. I have used eight-power stero-binocu- 

 lars the last four years. I have also identified all dead speci- 

 mens found. In g^athering data from the pioneers I have 

 used extreme care to differentiate species, excluding every- 

 thinsr doubtful. 



