7 2 Cooke on Rare Birds in the Mississippi Valley. [January 



Abundance of Black-bellied Plover {Squatarola helvetica) in Eastern 

 Nebraska. — In the bird list sent by F. Powell, Alda, Neb., occurs the 

 item : "Black-bellied Plover, usually rare, but May 21, 1883, I saw thou- 

 sands of them on the Platte River." In reply to further questions he 

 writes : "The weather had been rainy for a few days before I saw the 

 Black-bellied Plover, with the wind from the south, but on that day the 

 wind blew stiff from the north, with broken clouds flying and the air 

 pretty cold. The birds were on the hay flats on the south side of the 

 river. I drove up the valley seven or eight miles and was not out of sight 

 of large flocks any of the time. They were very wild and I only killed 

 three." 



Perissoglossa tigrina in Nebraska. — The same observer also states : 

 "On May 12, 1SS3, I took a Cape May Warbler, an old male in good plu- 

 mage. A few .days later, I thought I saw three more, but had no gun 

 with me." 



Protonotaria citrea in Wisconsin. — In Dr. P. L. Hatch's 1880 list of 

 Minnesota birds this Warbler is not given, nor can I find any Wisconsin 

 record. It is therefore with the greatest pleasure that I am able to record 

 that Dr. J. C. Havoslef of Lanesboro, in Southeastern Minnesota, shot one 

 on Aug. 16, 1S74, near the mouth of the Root River, on the Wisconsin 

 bank of the Mississippi. 



Lark Bunting in Southeastern Minnesota. — In the same list of Minne- 

 sota birds Calamospisa bicolor is given as occurring in the northeastern 

 part of the State. Since then it has been found — whether accidentally or 

 not remains to be seen — in the southeastern part. Dr. Havoslef sends the 

 following particulars: "Saw one, a magnificent male, on the very high 

 prairie seven miles north of Lanesboro, June 19, 1883. It was not at all 

 wary, so that I very easily got within a few yards of it, and could even see 

 the peculiar shape of the bill. My shot, however, was not successful, as the 

 weapon was only a small pistol, and the wind was blowing a gale. Busi- 

 ness prevented my returning with a shot gun." This spring he writes 

 me that "May 11, on the high prairie, nine miles east of Lanesboro, I 

 again saw a Calamosfisa bicolor; there was only one and it was wild, 

 while the one I saw a year ago was quite the reverse." 



Junco aikeni in the Indian Territory, Kansas, and Wisconsin. — While 

 standing at the window of my house in Caddo, Ind. Ter.. which is in the 

 southeastern part, about thirty miles from the Texas line, mv attention 

 was drawn to a small party of Fringillidas in the yard, about fifteen feet 

 from me. There were half a dozen Tree Sparrows, a few Juncos, and a 

 stray Passerculus, but what attracted my attention was one of the Juncos. 

 It was slightly larger than the others, much darker, and across its wings 

 stretched two broad bands of white. I had heard and read of the White- 

 winged Snowbird, but had never seen one. As I watched it intently it 

 spread its tail and revealed at least four feathers entirely white, and ap- 

 parently white spots on four more. Turning now to the others I found 

 that one very dusky individual had faint wing-bars and the extra white tail 

 feathers. The moment I started for a gun the whole party left. On men- 



