WATERFOWL IN NEBRASKA. 19 



Practically all are -without outlets, though only a few, such as Alkali 

 Lake, about 6 miles east of Moffitt, are more or less alkaline. In 

 general character they are typical sandhill lakes. Some, like Rush 

 Lake, which has been mostly drained, Ed Eldred Lake, and Eeno 

 Lake, are largely covered with vegetation and, having little o^^en 

 water, are scarcely more than marshes. Others, like Alkali Lake, have 

 practically no marsh, but sandy or marshy shores; yet many of the 

 lakes even of this character possess some area of marsh. A few, like 

 Beaver Lake and Old Lady Lake, with largely grassy or sandy 

 shores, lie almost entirely surrounded by rather steep sandhills. Such 

 lakes are not very attractive to waterfowl, particularly in summer. 

 Swan Lake, which is a noted duck-hunting ground, particularly in 

 the fall, is probably the best-known lake of this region. It is a 

 crooked lake of not more than half a mile or a mile in greatest 

 breadth and consists really of two lakes connected b}^ a narrow 

 passage. It drains eastward through a small lake called Jones Lake, 

 and has comparatively little good marsh except in its eastern and 

 western portions and along its sluggish outlet. It is, however, ap- 

 parently a fairly good feeding and breeding ground for ducks in 

 summer. Bean Lake, on which is Orlando, is one of the larger lakes 

 of the region, as well as one of the best for ducks, and has a good 

 fringe of marsh around a considerable portion of its shore. The 

 Hague Lakes have been apparently made permanent by the drain- 

 ing into them of the water from Rush Lake, and while they have not 

 extensive areas of marsh, are good places for ducks, even in the sum- 

 mer. Many of the small lakes, like Grosser Lake, Charlie Lake, and 

 Harrison Lake, are excellent breeding grounds for waterfowl, espe- 

 cially during wet seasons, for they have a good fringe of marsh vege- 

 tation. This whole area, and particularly its southern portions, is 

 visited in autumn by ducks in countless numbers and is a renowned 

 hunting ground. 



Water birds are fairly numerous in summer throughout this group 

 of lakes, and consist of much the same species that frequent the other 

 sandhill waters. The only species of common occurrence not noted 

 elsewhere in the sandhills is the American avocet, which was found 

 at the Hague Lakes, at Wild Goose Lake, Young Lake, Ed Eldred 

 Lake, Swan Lake, Jones Lake, and Alkali Lake on June 21 ; and near 

 Trainor Lake, near the Peterson Lakes, and at Phalarope Lake on 

 June 22. The most numerous species here, during summer, in the 

 order of abundance, are the American coot, redhead, American eared 

 grebe, shoveller, blue-winged teal, gadwall, Wilson phalarope, black 

 tern, ruddy duck, pintail, and killdeer. Others that are present in 

 much fewer numbers but fairly well distributed are the mallard, 

 American avocet, and black-crowned night heron. 



