iqo^^J Trotter, Kalm's Ornithological Observations. 2 C I 



The following observations pertain to the several species of 

 American birds noted by Kalm. These ornithological observa- 

 tions are scattered through the book, sandwiched in among the 

 mass of heterogeneous matter gathered by this untiring recorder. 

 ''No circumstance interesting to natural history or to any other 

 part of literature has been omitted." The first English edition of 

 3 vols, (from which these notes have been drawn) and the second 

 edition of 2 vols. (1772) contain numerous notes by the translator. 

 The binomial nomenclature, affixed to the species, is evidently the 

 work of Kalm after his return to Sweden, for, as Dr. Coues 

 observes, " these accounts are among the bases of several Linnjean 

 species, though largely anticipated by Catesby and Edwards " 

 (Birds of the Colorado Valley, Bibliographical Appendix, p. 585). 



Ducks — Sp. ? — Under date of October 30, 1748, Kalm men- 

 tions seeing large numbers of ducks between Staten Island and 

 "the town of New York." "We saw a number of wild ducks in 

 immense quantities upon the water : the people called them Blue 

 bills, and they seemed to be the same with our Pintail ducks, or 

 Linnaus's Anas acicta\ but they were very shy." (Eng. Trans., 

 Vol. I, p. 237.) 



Wild fowl had evidently greatly decreased in numbers even at 

 the time Kalm wrote, as appears in a note written at Philadelphia 

 under date of November 9, 1748. The note is concluded with 

 the following observation : " But since the arrival of great crowds 

 of Europeans., things are greatly changed : the country is well 

 peopled, and the woods are cut down : the people increasing in 

 this country, they have by hunting and shooting in part extirpated 

 the birds, in part scared them away : in spring the people still 

 take both eggs, mothers and young indifferently, because no regu- 

 lations are made to the contrary. And if any had been made, the 

 spirit of freedom which prevails in the country would not suffer 

 them to be obeyed." 



Cranes. — Under date of February 17, 1749, at the village of 

 Raccoon, New Jersey, a few miles below Philadelphia and almost 

 opposite the site of Chester, Pa., Kalm makes the following obser- 

 vation : 



"Cranes {Ardea Canadensis) were sometimes seen flying in the 

 day-time, to the northward. They commonly stop here early in 



