Nebraska Ornithologisls' Union, Inc. 
5109 Underwood Avenue 
Omaha, Nebraska 68132 
Address Correction Requested 
NONPROFIT ORG. 
U.S. POSTAGE 
PAID 
Omaha, Nebr. 
Permit No. 716 
TABLE OF CONTENTS 
1968 Christmas Count . 34 
Common Eider Record for Nebraska . 38 
1968 Nebraska Nesting Survey . 39 
The Sixty-eighth Annual Meeting . 46 
Notes . 47 
In Memoriam - Francis Lee Jaques . 48 
identity of the bird, Mrs. Neel and 
I walked into the yard in an at¬ 
tempt to get closer to it. The Thrash¬ 
er stopped feeding and flew into a 
tree, perching about seven feet from 
the ground, but it did not seem very 
alarmed by our presence and allowed 
us to walk to within 20 feet of it, 
and did not fly while we observed 
it from that distance. 
The Neel home is on a farm about 
six miles northeast of McCook, and 
is on dry tableland, but with some 
deep ravines in the area. Mrs. Neel 
said that they first noiced the 
Thrasher about the middle of Janu¬ 
ary and that it had been feeding 
there on most days since then. At the 
time the bird appeared Nebraska 
was experiencing bitter cold and 
stormy weather, but the bird ap¬ 
parently had had ample shelter and 
food, and at the time I saw it ap- 
pered to be healthy. When feeding 
in the yard it stays with a flock of 
House Sparrows. 
Several Curve-billed Thrashers 
were reported at North Platte in 
the spring of 1936, and one of that 
group was collected {Revised Check¬ 
list of Nebraska Birds, Rapp et al, 
1958:21). I find no reference to this 
species in the Nebraska Bird Re¬ 
view since that date. 
Mrs. Neel wrote that the Thrasher 
was singing April 4, but disappeared 
soon after that date. 
—Gail M. Shickley, North Platte 
In Memoriam 
Francis Lee Jaques, an Honorary 
Member of NOU since 1960, died at 
his home in St. Paul, Minnesota, 
July 24, 1969. He would have been 
82 years old September 28. Mr. 
Jaques was a well-known wildlife 
artist who numbered among his 
works backgrounds for exhibits at 
the University of Nebraska and the 
Iowa State Museum. As a boy he 
lived in Kansas, and crossed Nebras¬ 
ka in a covered wagon about 1903 
when his family moved to Minne¬ 
sota. More detailed information on 
his life and works will be found in 
NBR 32:29. 
