FAUNA OF NEBRA8KA. 127 



Least Tern and Black. Tern are the most abundant. They breed 

 in Nebraska. 



The Diving Birds are represented in the State by only one 

 species, namely, the American-eared Grebe. It is particularly abun- 

 dant on the Platte and the Missouri. 



This brief sketch will, I trust, give some idea of the affluence of 

 bird life in Nebraska. I have in another work, already alluded to,* 

 shown how highly insectiverous the most of our birds arc, and 

 what vast millions of insects they destroy. Bird life is the poetry 

 of animal life. Every sentiment of admiration for exquisite beauty, 

 for the charm of song, for utility, and abhorrence for the infliction 

 of needless suffering, calls on cultivated and refined natures to 

 protest against the needless destruction of birds. 



Reptiles. 



Owing to the large amount of time devoted to the other depart- 

 ments of our natural history, I have been unable to do much with 

 our reptiles and fishes. The following is therefore only a partial 

 list of such as I have found in the State: 



Soft Shelled Turtle (Trionyx ferox). Missouri. 



Snapping Turtle (Chelonoura serpentina). In most of our rivers. 



Painted Tortoise (Emys picta). Missouri and Platte rivers. 



Painted Tortoise (Emys guttata). Widely dispersed. 



Wood Terrapin (Emys insculpia). Widely dispersed. 



Geographic Tortoise (Emys geographic a). Common. 



Pseudo graphic Tortoise (Ei?iys pseudo graphicd). Rare. 



Mud Tortoise (Kinosternon Pennsylvanicum). Rare. 



Musk Tortoise (Sternothacrus odoratus). Have seen but one in 

 the State. 



Common Box Tortoise (Cistuda Carolina). Common. 



Blanding's Box Tortoise (Cistuda Blandingii). Rare. 



Sauriaxs. 



Blue Tailed Skink (Suncus fasciatus). Rare. 

 Fine-lined Lizard (Lygosoma quinquelineatus). Rare. 

 Horned Toad (Phry?wsoma carnuta). West Nebraska. 

 Brown Swift (Tropidolopis undulatus). Niobrara region. 

 Chiroter lumbricoides. Southeast Nebraska. 

 Glass Snake (Opiosaurus ventralis). South Nebraska. 



♦Natural Food of Birds. 



