130 
THE BIRDS OF WISCONSIN. 
Gelochelidon nilotica (Hassel%.). GILL-BILLED TERN. 
Included in Dr. Hoy's list of 1852 with the simple state- 
ment: ''We have but seldom met the marsh tern in this 
vicinity." Nelson, in Birds of Northeastern Illinois, says: 
"An exceedingly rare visitant during summer.'' Various 
Michigan lists give it as "often abundant on Lake Michigan," 
"common, Saginaw River in January," etc., etc., all of which 
is too absurd for serious consideration. We know of no actual 
record for Wisconsin, and have never seen the bird in the 
north. 
Sterna maxima Bodd. ROYAL TERN. 
The only reference to this species as a bird of Wisconsin 
that we know of is that of Dr. Hoy, who in his list of 1852, 
says "rarely visits us," and is later quoted by Nelson (1) as 
authority for the statement that "a specimen was taken at 
Milwaukee many years ago and preserved in a museum there." 
We very much doubt if this species should be retained as a 
Wisconsin bird. Dr. Hoy does not mention caspia, which 
makes us suspicious that the specimen referred to was of that 
species. Furthermore we carefully went through the Natural 
History Society's collection at Milwaukee a number of times 
between 1873 and 1875, and although there used to be an old 
specimen of caspia there, we never saw or heard of a specimen 
of mamma (L. K.). 
Procellariida?? PETREL. 
There is a belief among lake captains and others that some 
species of petrel is found at times on Lake Michigan. We 
are very much inclined to doubt it, however, and there are no 
records to substantiate their statements. 
Anhinga aiiliiiit?a (Linn.). ANHINGA. 
In a paper on some of the rarer birds of Dodge County, 
Wisconsin, by W. E. Snyder (2), the author includes this 
species as having "been shot by a Mr. Chatfield some twenty 
years ago," and "described" to Mr. Snyder by him. As we 
consider this no evidence whatever that this strictly southern 
species ever visits us, we cannot accord it a place in our list. 
Plialacrocorax cailio (Linn.). CORMORANT. 
We have investigated several reports of P. carbo having 
been taken in the state, but have never found a record worthy 
1. Birds of N. B. Illinois. 1877, v. 147. 
2. Bull. Wis. Nat. His. Soc, April. 1892. 
