284 



General Note,. [/^j^ 



Two Additions to the Bird Fauna of Kansas. — I wish to record the 

 addition of two species to the bird fauna of Kansas. They are as follows : 



1. Parasitic J.eger (^Stccorayiiis parasiticHs). — A young male was 

 captured along the Kansas River near Lawrence on October 10, 1898, b\' 

 Banks Brown. The specimen was mounted by Leverett A. Adams and is 

 now in the museum of the University of Kansas. This species not hav- 

 ing been previously reported as "seen "or "likely to occur in Kansas" 

 is an absolute addition to our avifauna. 



2. White-winged Crossbill {Loxia leucopteni). This species was 

 inserted in my first editions of ' The Birds of Kansas,' in 1872, on the 

 authority of Dr. T. M. Brewer, and was omitted from my fifth edition 

 (May, 1903) because its occurrence in Kansas had not been verified by 

 actual captures. I am glad to report two recent captures. The first was 

 that of an adult male in fall plumage, shot by Leverett A. Adams near 

 Lawrence, in Douglas County, November 4, 1899. This specimen, 

 mounted by E. D. Bunker, is now in the museum of the University of 

 Kansas. The second capture was that of a young male, taken at Hays 

 City in western Kansas, September 15, 1902, \>y C W. Miller, who has 

 the specimen in his own collection. 



These two additions, together with the three recorded in the January 

 number of 'The Auk,' increase to 347 the number of species and varieties 

 of birds personally known to me as occurring in Kansas. — F. H. Snow, 

 Laxvrence, Kan. 



Mortality Among Young Birds, Due to Excessive Rains. — During the 

 summer of 1903, prolonged dry and warm weather, lasting through the 

 greater part of May and the first week of June, was followed by an exces- 

 sive rainfall. From June 6 to 14, inclusive, I was at Demarest, N. J., and 

 from the evidence that there came under my notice, I became convinced 

 that the mortalitv among young birds in the nest was far beyond normal, 

 owing to the heavy rains which so closely succeeded each other. 



Wishing to see how extensive this abnormal mortality might be, I wrote 

 to some thirty ornithologists in various sections of New York, Pennsyl- 

 vania, and New Jersey, inquiring regarding this subject. To a number 

 who furnished interesting information, I am greatly indebted, as well as 

 to others who courteously replied to my queries, stating that they were 

 unable to furnish any information on the subject. 



The deductions which may be gathered from the data thus collected are, 

 first, that there was, at least in some sections, an unusvially heavy mor- 

 tality among young birds as a result of exposure, cold, and in some cases 

 drowning, due to heavy rains, as well as an unusually large number of 

 nests with eggs which were deserted because of the eggs becoming wet 

 and chilled ; second, it would appear that in other sections such mortality 

 was not evident. This may be due to the difference in the predominating 

 species of the different localities, or to difference in environment of nests, 

 in the sections covered by the observers so reporting. 



