588 REPOKT OF STATE GEOLOGIST. 



Length, 37.50-41.00; wing, 22.00-27.10; tail, 14.25-19.25; depth of 

 fork, about half its length; bill, 4.25-5.15. 



RANGE. Tropical and sub-tropical regions; north to Florida, Texas 

 and California; accidentally to Nova Scotia, Indiana and Kansas. 



Nest, of sticks in bushes or on rock near the sea. Egg, 1; chalky- 

 white; 2.62 by 1.75. 



Accidental visitor. This graceful bird of the tropic seas rarely wan- 

 ders far inland. Along the Gulf of Mexico it is a resident. Only once, 

 so far as we know, has it been identified in Indiana. In the fall of 

 1896 I saw, in the office of Mr. J. E. Beasley, the well-known taxider- 

 mist, at Lebanon, Ind., a nicely mounted specimen of a young male of 

 this species. I learned it was killed near Shelbyville, Ind., July 14, 

 1896, by Mr. W. S. Patterson, and came into Mr. Beasley's hands 

 for preservation the next day. I took the following measurements from 

 the mounted specimen: Length, 36.00; wing, 24.00; tail, 16.00; 

 depth of fork, 7.00; bill, 4.25. There is only one other record for the 

 Ohio Valley. In the spring of 1880 a specimen was taken in Franklin 

 County, 0., and is now in the possession of Dr. Renshaw, of Sugar 

 Grove, 0. (Davie., Nests and Eggs, K A. Birds, pp. 59, 60). There 

 are two other records that are equally remarkable in showing the in- 

 land wanderings of this species. In the Milwaukee Public Museum 

 is one of these birds, which was killed in the vicinity of Humboldt, 

 Wis., a few miles north of Milwaukee, in August, 1880. In the same 

 month (August 16, 1880) one was killed with a stone while sitting on 

 a tree in Osborne County, Kan. It was mounted, but track has been 

 lost of the specimen. However, a photograph was taken, which serves 

 to verify the record (Bird Migration in the Miss. Valley. Cooke, p. 

 60). 



D. ORDER ANSERES. DUCKS AND GEKSK. 

 X. FAMILY ANATID^E. DUCKS A*D GEESE. 



a 1 . Neck shorter than body. 



cut 1 . Space between eye and bill wholly or partly naked. CAIRINA. 18a 



aa 2 . Space between eye and bill feathered. 



b 1 . Parent of tarsus divided into more or less square plates; its length Jess than 



middle toe without claw; sexes unlike. 

 e 1 . Bill narrow, long; apparently with teeth. Subfamily MERGING. 



d l . Processes of mandibles conspicuously tooth-like, pointing backwards at 

 tips. MERGANSER. 13 



</-'. Processes of mandibles short, not pointing backwards at tips. 



LOPHODYTES. 14 



