196 RnoABS, Ornithological Publications of C. S. Rafinesque. LAprii 



that I have observed several of them in Kentucky, Ohio, Indiana, 

 &c. Some appear to follow the meanders of the Mississippi and 

 Ohio, and to ramble at a great distance from the gulf of Mexico, 

 their native place, finding probably an adequate food in the variety 

 of fishes swarming in those noble streams. 



Pelicans have been seen and shot on the River Ohio, as far as 

 Louisville, Cincinnati, and Portsmouth, nearly 2000 miles from 

 the gulf of Mexico, by the course of the rivers, although only one 

 third of that distance in a direct course. Some few individuals 

 have been seen both in summer and autumn; but do not appear to 

 have raised their young in our rivers. 



The other sea-birds which I have observed or noticed in the 

 interior of the western states, belong to the genera of Divers, Gulls, 

 Terns, Phalaropes, Grebes, Sea-ducks, &c. They were seen on 

 the Ohio, Kentucky, Licking river, &c. or even near Lexington 

 and Harrodsburg. 



A Loom [sic] was shot near the Kentucky river in the spring of 

 182L Several Phalaropes have been shot near Louisville and 

 Henderson. If these birds wandered from the gulf of Mexico, the 

 distance from it in a straight line, was about 600 miles. A Carolina 

 Grebe, (Podiccps Carolmianus) was shot at Harrodsburg in March 

 1821, which came probably from the nearest Atlantic shore of 

 North Carolina, at the distance of 400 miles or more. 



These birds must probably be blown from the sea-shore, towards 

 us by some violent storms, and many more in the same predica- 

 ment may escape our notice. This singular fact in their History 

 deserves however to be recorded. 



Among the sea-birds which I have seen in Kentucky, there are 

 two kinds, a Gull and a Tern, which I cannot find described in any 

 book; they might be considered as new species. They must 

 probably have wandered here from the distant shores of the Mexi- 

 can Gulf and Empire, where many unnoticed birds must exist as 

 yet. 



The Gull might be called the wandering Gull : I have given to it 

 the ornithological name of Larus Marginatus, which has a reference 

 to its black-edged wings. 



Its total length was one foot; but the dimension of the extended 

 wings reached 28 inches. Bill black, feet of an orange color, with 



