THE SCIENTIST, 
m 
For tlic Scientist. 
Some lliirae Aycs Imoiig- Kaiisjis 
Dudis. - 
By Vernon L. Kelloog. 
We of Kansas are given to claiming 
many things, and tlms it comes that the 
plirase "Kansas ' birds" includes man}^ 
birds wliicli belong an3nvliere but to 
Kansas. Of the three hundred and forty 
three species and sub-species of birds 
listed in CoL Goss's "History of the 
Birds of Kansas" but about sixty are 
really Kansas bird-residents. About 
siinty are summer residents and one hun- 
dred and twenty- five birds of passage. 
Among these migratories are most of the 
K uisas ducks, although a few of the web 
footed waterfovvl are becoming so taken 
with Kansas that they are thinking of 
making permanent homes here. 
Of the three Mergansers found in 
Kansas during the winter tlie Ked-brested 
(Mergus serrator) is rare, Aniericanus, 
the American or Buft'-breasted Mer- 
ganser is not uncommon, especially 
along the Kansas river, and is uot 
Infrequently brought in by hunters 
and offered to the University Museum 
as sH'vator. The Red-breasted has 
been noted in the Kansas river and 
one was shot near Emporia some 
years ago. Serrator^ male, is easily 
dis inguished from the common ameri- 
canus by the pointed occipita' crest, cin- 
namon breast and white belly. The 
female sej-rator resembles the female 
amerioanus but is smaller, and its nos- 
trils are near the base of the mandible, 
and not near the middle of the mandible 
as in amencanus. Among the Teal the 
curious red plumage of the male Cinna- 
mon Teal, (Anas cyanoptera) is rarely 
seen, especially in the eastern half of 
the state. The female camiot be disting- 
uished from the female of the Blue- 
winged, except when in hand, and after 
tdose scrutiny. 
The bill in cyanoptera is markedly larg- 
er than in discors- the plumage is darker 
and only the uppor throat is iinstreaked-. 
There is no record of the capture of the 
Cinnamon at Lawrence. and I believe that 
a male shot at Enijjoria in 1884 by A. L, 
Beimett is the most eastei-n record for the 
state. This siDecijneji was in company of 
several Blue-wings, male and f( male. 
Of the two Scaups found in tlie state 
the Greater or Ani! rican is rarelj' seen, 
but the Lesser is one of our commonest 
river-ducks and well known to sports- 
man. The Greater however is being 
found more often, at least, on the Kansas 
river, of late years, and is not the rai-ety 
that the other rarae ave^ mentioned in 
these notes are. The Greater Scaup 
is easily distinguished from the Lesser 
by its size, aveiaging three inches 
longer; the plumage markings in tlie 
two forms are identical. 
The American Golden-Eye {Glmvci- 
onetta clangula americana) is another 
Kansas rarity. It has been taken several 
times in the state, having come under my 
notice in Emporia and in Lawrence. The 
Emporia specimen was shot on a small 
shallow pond, a favorite haunt of the 
marsh ducks as Shovellers,Teal, etc. The 
specimen is a male in good plumage, and 
is now in the collections of the State 
Normal at Emporia, The Universily 
Collections contain two Kansas speci- 
mens. Col. Goss noted the Golden Eye 
i t Neosho Falls, and doubtless elsewhere 
in the state. 
The rarest of all the rare fi-om Kansas 
is the Surf 'Baoter (Oide^ma persjncillata) 
a single specimen, young male, having 
been shot on the Kansas river within 
the corporate limits of Ljiwrence, Oc- 
tober 29, 1887. It is remarkable that this 
sea duck should have even straj^ed into 
Kansas, and its single occurence is hardly 
basis for hope of seeing othei-s'. The 
bird was shot by Mr. A.L. Bennett, who 
has been notably successful in finding 
rare ducks. 
