Annotated List of Sac County, Iowa 147 



Forster Tern (Sterna forsteri). A rare migrant. Specimen in 

 the Smith collection. I once saw three large terns over Wall lake 

 in the fall, which I took to be this species, but was unable to dis- 

 tinguish for certain between this species and the common tern be- 

 fore they flew. 



Least Tern (Sterna antillamm) . A rare migrant. I found one 

 shot by hunters, on the shore of Wall lake, September 29, 1912. I 

 saw four least terns flying over Wall lake June 19, 1916. Mrs. 

 George May also reported it from Wall lake in the fall. 



Black Tern (Hydrochelidon nigra surinamensis). Specimen in 

 the Smith collection. The black tern is a common migrant both 

 spring and fall and also a tolerably common breeder. They follow 

 the plow for insects in the same manner that Franklin gulls do, 

 but not as persistently. During the nesting season they do not 

 range far from the marshes or lakes, but in the fall they range far 

 over the surrounding country, often ranging over the hayfields to 

 catch grasshoppers. They nest in the vicinity of Wall lake and on 

 small marshy ponds between Lake View and Sac City. A colony 

 of about fifty nested in the " Goosepond " the summer of 1915, judg- 

 ing from their remonstrance as I passed through it on the rail- 

 road track several times during July. 



Quotation from Rudolph M. Anderson's " Birds of Iowa. ' "Dr. J. 

 A. Allen records, " great numbers, July 20, about Wall lake, in Sac 

 Co. The young had already flown and were accompanying their 

 parents." (Mem. Bost. Soc. i 1868, 502.)"' Mr. Lee also reports 

 them as nesting. 



Migration Data. 



Spring. 



Double-crested Cormorant (Phalacrocorax auritus auritvs). Re- 

 ported by Mr. Smith as rare. A specimen in his collection. Re- 

 ported by Mr. Lee as being called " black swan " and having the 

 habit of staying in the middle of large lakes. He had seen none 

 since 1894. 



White Pelican (Pelecanus erythrorJiynchos) . Specimen in the 



