28 BULT.ETIN 794, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



RUDDY DUCK. Erismatura jamaicensis. 



The ruddy duck was, during summer, one of the interesting sights of the 

 lakes in this region, where it frequented the open water of both ponds and 

 the larger bodies of water, often gathering into companies of considerable size, 

 and regularly associating with other ducks. Its curious habit of sailing 

 about with tail elevated makes it easy to distinguish, even at a considerable 

 distance. Most of the birds seen at this time were either pairs or single 

 males, and such, kept more or less separate, even when associated together in a 

 flock of 25 to 50, as was not infrequently the case. 



This is one of the common and well-distributed breeding ducks, except in 

 Brown County, where it seems to be rare, and at the Cody Lakes, where we 

 did not see it at all. It was most numerous on Silver Lake, near the head of 

 the North Loup River, June 16 ; at Dewey Lake, June 3 to 18 ; Muleshoe Lake, 

 June 7 ; Red Deer Lake, June 8 ; Hay Lake, June 8 and 11 ; Dads Lake, June 7 ; 

 and East Twin Lake, eastern Cherry County, June S. It was noted also at 

 Wood Lake, May 31 ; Clear Lake, June 4 ; Big Lake, June 7 ; Marsh Lake, June 

 8 ; L Lake, June 9 ; Big Alkali Lake, June 9 ; Welker Lake, June 11 ; Chamber- 

 lain Lake, June 18 ; Pearson Lake, June 18 ; and at several of the other lakes 

 in eastern Cherry County. Near the head of the North Loup River it was seen 

 on June 16 at Speckelmire, White Willow, and Red Willow Lakes. The only 

 lake in Brown County at which it was observed was Rat Lake, on June 14; 

 In Brown and Morrill Counties it was fairly common at a number of the lakes, 

 particularly Beaver Lake, Swan Lake, Harrison Lake, Ed Eldred Lake, Wild 

 Goose Lake, and the Hague Lakes, all on June 21. 



In eastern Cherry County it was common almost everywhere, October 6 to 9. 

 Ten were observed on Moon Lake, in Brown County, on October 10. 



CANADA GOOSE. Branta canadensis canadensis. 



This species, I am credibly told, formerly bred in the sandhill region, but I 

 could get no information that it has done so during the last few years ; and it is 

 probably now entirely absent at this season, though, of course, it occurs during 

 the migrations. 



A flock of 100 was seen along the Platte River, near Silver Creek, October 

 22. Hunters told me of shooting one near Grand Island on October 18. 



t TRUMPETER SWAN. Olor hiicdnator. 



The trumpeter swan was formerly a breeding bird of this region, but, if not 

 now entirely extinct as a species, can no longer be numbered among the sum- 

 mer birds of Nebraska. 



WHOOPING CRANE. Limnogeranus amerlcoMus. 



A flock of three was seen flying over Post Lake, Brown County, late in 

 the afternoon of October 10, 1915. 



* LITTLE BROWN CRANE. Grus canadensis canadensis. 



Two were seen five miles east of Red Deer Lake, eastern Cherry County, 

 on October 5, 1915. 



SANDHILL CRANE. Grus canadensis mexicana. 



The sandhill crane formerly reared its young in the sandhills of Nebraska, 

 but probably is not now breeding there. 



A flock of 20 was seen near Wood Lake, in eastern Cherry County, October 

 5, 1915, and four flying over Willow Lake, October 10. 



