ORNITHOLOGIST 



— AND- 



OOLOGIST. 



.fl.OO per 

 Annum. 



PUBLISHED BY FRANK B. WEBSTER. 



Established, March, 1875. 



Vol. XV. 



BOSTON, MASS., SEPTEMBER, 1890. 



Single Copy 

 10 cents. 



No. 9. 



A List of the Birds of Minnesota. 



In presenting this list it has heen the writer's 

 intention to make it thorouglily reliable, and 

 with the kind assistance of others as complete 

 as possible. Xo species is entered on tiie list 

 excejit on good anthority. Many which doubt- 

 less occur, are omitted on account of not having 

 been actually observed. As the collectors, in 

 the future, visit the sections that are at present 

 unopened many additions will be made. 



The material for this list is from notes taken 

 during six years' field collecting in the vicinity 

 of Minnenpolis, from 1883 lill 1880, during 

 which time trips were frequently made to Lake 

 Minnetonka, fifteen miles distant, which offered 

 quite a different fauna of bird life; also a trip 

 to the southwestern prairie regions in Lacqui- 

 parle County which occupied the last three 

 weeks in May, 1889, a locality little known 

 and rich in bird life, — from the "Notes upon 

 Summer Birds of Grantand Traverse Counties," 

 taken in .Tune, 1879, by Dr. Thomas S. Roberts 

 and Mr. Franklin Benner, both counties in the 

 prairie regions of the northwest; fiom notes 

 on the "Birds of .St. Louis and Lake Coun- 

 ties," by Dr. T. S. Roberts, in 1879, from July 

 2Btli till September 2d. The two counties 

 form a triangle which projects eastward from 

 the northern half of the state, between Lake 

 Superior and the British possessions, — from 

 "A List of the Birds of Minnesota," by Dr. P. 

 L. Hatch, in 1880, published by the State Geo- 

 logical and Natural History Survey, and from 

 the notes of the following ornithologists: Dr. 

 .1. C. Hvoslef, Lanesboro; C. B. .Tohnson, Red- 

 wing; Frank Harris, La Crescent, and Thomas 

 Miller, Heron Lake, for the use of which I am 

 greatly indebted. I am also deeply indebted 

 to Prof. Robert Ridgway, whose name is fam- 

 iliar to every bird lover in the country (how 

 could we get along without him'?), always so 

 kind and willing to aid all in his favorite study, 

 and to Dr. T. S. Roberts of Minneapolis, by 



whose personal acquaintance I have been ben- 

 efited in many ways. 



The present list contains 295 species and 

 sub-species, and while I realize that it may 

 not be complete it will at least serve as a 

 foundation to build u^ion, and if it meets the 

 approval of those for whose use it is intended, 

 I shall feel amply repaid for my trouble. 



1. Colymhus holbnellU. American Red-necked 

 Grebe. Rather scarce. Has been observed 

 by Dr. T. S. Roberts in northern Minnesota,* 

 and also by Mr. C. B. Johnson of Redwing. 

 (The Western Grebe, ^iEoiwpfiorx.H occidfn- 

 talis, probably occurs in the state, but I can 

 find no record of such. ) 



2. Colijmbust aitritii.'i. Horned Grebe. Very 

 abundant during the migrations. Does not 

 remain to breed. 



8. Podilymhus podiceps. Pied-billed Grebe. 

 An abundant summer resident. 



4. Urinator imher. Loon. Common sum- 

 mer resident. 



'). Bissa trldactyla. Kittiwake. Stragglers 

 are occasionally met with in different parts of 

 the state. (Entered on the authority of Dr. P. 

 L. Hntch.) 



(). LnvKfi argentatus sinithsonianvs. Ameri- 

 can Heriing Gull. Found during the migra- 

 tions on the larger lakes. 



7. Lams delawarensis. Ring-billed Gull. 

 The most abundant of the large gulls; breeds. 



8. Lams franklinii. Franklin's Gull. An 

 abundant summer resident in the prairie re- 

 gions of the state. 



9. Lams Philadelphia. Bonaparte's Gull. 

 Common. Seen during migrations only. 



10. Sterna fschegrava. Cas2>ian Tern. Rare. 

 Several have been taken in the state, one of 

 which is in the collection of University of 

 Minnesota. 



11. Sterna forsteri. Forster's Tern. Com- 

 mon during migrations. 



* Auk, April, 1890, page 21:5. 



Copyright, 18!>0, by Frank B. Webster. 



