14 BIRDS OF CHAUTAUQUA COUNTY. 



Mereca penelope, The Widgeon is not uncommon. 



Querquedula discors, The J^iue-winged Teal is quite common. 



Nettion carolinensis, The Gireen-winged Teal is not uncommon. 



Aix sponm, The Wood Duck, a very beautiful bird, is quite com- 

 mon in spring and fall and to some extent throughout the summer. 



i^/xKic mania, The Scaup Duck, or Bluebill, is not uncommon. 



F. affinisj The Little Black-head, or Little Bluebill, is not very 

 common. 



Aethyia Americana, The Red-head is common. 



Olangula glancium Americana, The Golden-eye or Whistler, .is 

 common. 



C. Albeola, The Butter-ball, or BufSe head, is common. 



Harelda glaiolis, The Lfiig Tailed Duck, Old Squaw or Cow- 

 een, is not very common. 



Melanettafiiscaj The Velvet Scoter, is not very common. 



Erismatura rubida, The Ruddy Duck, is not uncommon 



Mergus merganser Americanus, The Merganser or Shell-drake, is 

 quite common during winter about streams where the current keeps 

 the water from freezing. ' 



Sophodytes cucuUatus, The Hooded Merganser, is common. 



Laurinus mo^nnws, The "Great Black-backed Gull, is rare. I 

 have seen it only on Lake Erie. 



L. argantaius, The Herring Gull, is not uncommon. 



L. Philadelphia, The Bonaparte's Gull, is the smallest and most 

 com rnon gull. 



Podilymhiis podiceps, The Thick-billed Grebe, or dipper, is com- 

 mon. 



Colymbus torquatus, The Loon, is not very common. 



With the encroachments of civilizations upon the forests, doubt- 

 less some species of birds have diminished in numbers, and some 

 disappeared aitOgethjeiy^rfi^^ increased in abund- 



ance. This is a very interesting subject for investigation, but owing 

 to the want of an accurate knowledge of the birds by the average ob- 

 server, — ^the same with the early settlers as at the present day— it is 

 difficult, in many cases, to ob|ain reliable data. An acquaintance 

 with the influences which govern the distribution of the birds is, 

 perhaps, more useful in solvitig these problems. 



However, I am reliably informed that the Q,neLily{Ortyx Virgin- 

 amisj) was formerly to be found in this county and was not entirely 

 extinct until a quite recent date. The wild Field Txxxke j,{M6leagris 

 gallopavo Americana,) was also occasionally met with by the early in- 

 habitants, but I am inclined to think was never very common* 



