THE NATURAL HISTORY SURVEY. 21 



loculator) Mr. Nelson speaks of as "an exceedingly rare summer 

 visitant from southern Illinois." He also says that Dr. Hoy has 

 a specimen obtained at Racine, September lo, 1869. The Glossy 

 Ibis (Plegadis autumnalis) Mr. Nelson speaks of as "a very rare 

 visitant" and says that he knows of two or three instances of its 

 occurrence in our vicinity. The Trumpeter Swan (Olor buccina- 

 tor) Mr. Nelson thought occurred during its migration periods, 

 and there is really no reason why it may not. The Greater Scaup 

 Duck (Aythya marila) Mr. Nelson considered "a rare migrant." 

 The Harlequin Duck {Histrionicus histrionicus) Mr. Nelson re- 

 ports as a "rather rare winter resident upon Lake Michigan," and 

 says that Dr. Hoy secured several specimens at Racine. The King 

 Eider (Somateria spectabilis) Mr. Nelson speaks of as a "rare 

 winter visitant — ^perhaps winter resident — to Lake Michigan and 

 other parts of the State." It is known that its range includes 

 Illinois. The Florida Cormorant {Phalacrocorax dilophus flori- 

 danus) , which is known to be a summer resident in the southern 

 portion of Illinois, Mr. Nelson states was observed at Waukegan 

 in May, 1876. The White-winged or Iceland Gull (Larus leu- 

 copterus), and the Great Black-backed or Saddle-back Gull 

 (Larus marinus) Mr. Nelson states are not uncommon winter 

 residents on Lake Michigan. He also records Franklin's Gull 

 {Larus franklinii) as a rare visitant to Lake Michigan, and that 

 a specimen was obtained at Milwaukee in 1850. The Gull-billed 

 Tern (Gelochelidon nilotica) Mr. Nelson records as "an exceed- 

 ingly rare visitant during summer," and he also speaks of the 

 Royal Tern (Sterna maxima) as being an exceedingly rare sum- 

 mer visitant to Lake Michigan. The Black-throated Loon (Uri- 

 nator arcticus) Mr. Nelson records as "a very rare winter visitant 

 upon Lake Michigan," and speaks of specimens as taken at Ra- 

 cine and Milwaukee. As this species is known to casually occur 

 both in autumn and winter in the northern United States it is 

 liable to be found within our region. 



While Mr. Nelson's report covers a somewhat larger area than 

 IS included in this report, the limits of his area are only a very 

 few miles beyond those of ours. The city of Racine, which he 

 so frequently mentions, is about sixty-two miles north of Chica- 

 go, in Wisconsin very near the southern boundary of that 

 state and on the shore of Lake Michigan. Waukegan, also fre- 

 quently mentioned by Mr. Nelson, is located in Illinois and is 

 thirty-six miles north of Chicago. 



