34 



IOWA ORNITHOLOGIST. 



it a migrant and rare. The 

 Bufflehead is chiefly a migrant, 

 but is a summer resident in the 

 northern part of the state. The 

 nesting has been noted at Clear 

 and Spirit Lakes. The Harle- 

 quin Duck is one concerning 

 which I find no definite Iowa 

 notes, but on the strength of Mr. 

 Allen's list it may be named as a 

 winter visitor. The Black Scoter 

 is another species concerning 

 which specific notes are wanting, 

 but it is mentioned by the same 

 authority. There is a record of 

 the Surf Scoter at LaPorte, ac- 

 credited to G. D. Peck in the Re- 

 port on Bird Migration. The 

 Ruddy Duck is a migrant, ac- 

 cording to Allen. 



Among the geese, we have the 

 Blue Goose, a regular migrant, 

 which breeds oh Hudson's Bay; 

 the Lesser Snow Goose, a regu- 

 lar migrant, chiefly following the 

 rivers; the White-fronted Goose, 

 which is known as a migrant in 

 all parts of the Mississippi Valley 

 north of southern Illinois, where 

 it has been known to winter; the 

 Canada Goose, the best known 

 of the Anseres; and the Brant, 

 which occurs as a migrant. The 

 last named is so uniformly con- 

 founded with the Lesser Snow 

 Goose that reports on the species 

 are very likely to be inaccurate. 



The two varieties of Swans, 

 the Whistling and Trumpeter 

 Swans, occur in Iowa. Accord- 

 ing to the Report on Bird Migra- 

 tion, the Trumpeter Swan has 

 been found nesting near Newton, 

 Iowa. The Whistling Swan is 

 named on the authority of Mr. 

 Allen's list. 



Note — During the discussion 

 which folio \ved the reading of the 

 paper, Mr. Morton E. Peck re- 

 ported the occurrence of the 

 Ring-billed Gull and the Man-'o- 

 War Bird at LaPorte, his home 

 place. Mention was made also 

 of the Least Tern, the species 

 having been seen in Winnebago 

 county. 



The Protection of Our Birds. 



WILLIAM W. LOOMIS, CLERMONT, IOWA. 



Paper read before the First Congress of 

 I. O. A. 



'TpHE question how to prevent 

 the depopulation of our 

 feathered friends is beginning to 

 be agitated by many ornitholo- 

 gists and it might be well for us 

 to spend a few moments in dis- 

 cussing the problem. For con- 

 venience sake let us consider the 

 subject under three heads: Are 

 birds useful.-* Is there an un- 



