l6o DAVENPORT ACADEMY OF SCIENCES. 



241 ). C. F. Heniiing found the Black Tern breeding in Hamilton 

 county June 26, 1893 (West. Orn., v, 2, 1900, 87). Dr. C. C Smith 

 reports it "an irregular visitant, seen most commonly in the latter 

 half of May. I have also seen it in June and July" (Winneshiek). 

 W. A. Bingaman as "abundant; breeding" (Kossuth); F. H. 

 .Shoemaker as a "rare summer resident" (Franklin); Dr. I. S. 

 Trostler as an "abundant migrant; rare summer resident" (Potta- 

 wattamie — Mills). All other observers report the species only as 

 a migrant. 



The Black Terns do not .seem to be deterred from nest-building 

 by proximity to houses and passing railway trains. They evince 

 little fear of man and large numbers will often follow a man plow- 

 ing, hovering over his head, and looking for grubs turned up by the 

 plow. The}' are often killed with a whip at such times. Dr. Bailey 

 observed hundreds of Black Terns at Eagle I^ake, Hancock county, 

 July 17-20, 1902, mostly feeding on crayfish. They have also 

 been noted as feeding upon the nymphse of the dragon-fiy in large 

 numl)ers. The food of the species in summer consists to a great 

 extent of Ihc lar\;c of acjuatic insects, small insects, small mol- 

 luscs, etc, which arc found upon the surface of the water. 



Order STKGANOPODKS. Totipalmate Swinnners. 

 Family ANHINGID.F:. Darters. 



The Western Continent has only one spieces representing this 

 peculiar family. The Darter or Snake-bird is a common species 

 in tropical and sub-tropical America and is casual or accidental 

 north of southern Illinois. 



Genus Anhinga Bri.sson. 



22. (118). .In/iinoa anhiiiga {J^\nn.). Anhinga. Snake-bird. 

 The only known record of the occurrence of this species in 

 Iowa was given me by Walter G. Savage in a letter of Feb. 25, 

 1904. He says: "About twent}' years ago one was killed in 

 Henry comity. This one is the only record that I have of any 

 being in the state. I have no specimen; it was killed before I put 

 up any, but I well remember the bird as being the Snakebird. It 

 was killed on a little stream called 'Little Cedar,' in Henry county, 

 Iowa, near Salem, and the man knew what a Cormorant was and 



