196 ILLINOIS STATE ACADEMY OF SCIENCE 



GENERAL SURVEY OF THE FAUNA OF LAKE KNOX— Continued. 



Phylum Chordata — Continued 



Class Reptilia — Concluded 

 Order Ophidia 



Family Colubridae 

 Eutaenia sirtalis 



The common garter snake was found in great 

 numbers both in the fall and in the spring. 

 Seven were seen on the bank near Station 

 IV, April 8th. 

 Heterodoa p la tyrhinu s 



The hog nosed snake was found near there 

 September 29th. 

 Class Aves (Birds) 

 Order Anseres 



Anas platyryncTios 



Mallard ducks were seen flying over the pond, 

 October 8th. 

 Chen caerulescens 



A man killed twelve blue geese from the region 

 Nov. 11th. 

 Order PaliuUcolae 

 Family Pallidae 



Fulica americana 



The American coot, known commonly as the 

 mud hen, was seen very frequently. It was 

 the only representative of the marsh birds 

 seen. 

 Order Limicolae (Shore birds) 

 Family Scolopacidae 

 Gallinago delicata 



The Wilson snipe was seen dead on the tracks 

 Oct. 21st. 

 Pisobia minutilla 



Two least sandpipers .were seen March 15th 

 in the muskrat area. 

 Family Charadriidae (Plovers) 

 Oxyechus vociferus 



The killdeer was seen very frequently. It was 

 noticed as early as March 17th and as late in 

 the fall as Oct. 21st. The killdeer is said to 

 feed very largely upon shellfish and larvae from 

 ponds. 

 Other birds were seen frequently, which undoubtedly af- 

 fect the life of the pond directly or indirectly. 

 Order Coccyges 



Family Alcedinidae 

 Ceryle alcyon 



The belted kingfisher was seen as early as March 

 16th, occasionally diving into the water for 

 small fish. 

 Order Pici (woodpecker) 

 Family Picidae 



Dryobates pubescens 



The downy woodpecker which stays with us all 

 winter was seen frequently pecking for insect 

 larvae on the giant rag weed stems or other 

 weeds along the bank. 



