FINS, FEATHERS AND FUR 
3 
Growing in the water among the bulrushes are 
five species of pond-weeds (Potamogeton) and 
wild celery, all valuable duck food plants. 
Among the reeds are four kinds of duckweeds, 
plants which occupy quiet water elsewhere, 
particularly in the lee of points and islands. The 
open water of the lake is occupied chiefly by 
wild celery, the various pondweeds, coontail and 
algae, with white and yellow waterlilies about 
the margins. The vegetation of the lake margins 
includes such important duck food plants as 
wapato, bur-reed, and wild rice. 
It is apparent that Swan Lake possesses an 
abundance of a large number of important wild- 
duck foods. The large size of Swan Lake and 
the abundance of food and cover plants make it 
a most valuable feeding and breeding place for 
wildfowl. 
List of Birds Observed by Harry C. Oberholser 
at Swan Lake, Minnesota, July 25-27, 1917 
Game Birds 
Mallard (Anas platyrhyocha) 
Blue-winged Teal (Querquodula discors ) 
Redhead (Marila americana) 
Lesser Scaup Duck (Marila affinis ) 
Red-headed Woodpecker (Melanerpes erythro- 
cephalus) 
Flicker ( Colaptes auratus auratus) 
Nighthawk (Chordeiles virginianus virginianus ) 
Ruby-throated Hummingbird ( Archilochus colu- 
bris ) 
Kingbird (Tyrannus tyrannous tyrannus) 
Phoebe ( Sayornis phoebe) 
Wood Pewee ( Myiochanes vircns) 
Least Flycatcher ( Empidonax minimus ) 
Prairie Horned Lark ( Otocoris alpestris prati- 
cola) 
Blue Jay ( Cyanocitta cristata cristata) 
American Crow ( Corvus brachyrhynchus brach- 
yrhynchus ) 
Bobolink (Dolichonyx oryzivorus ) 
Cowbird (Molothrus ater ater) 
Yellow-headed Blackbird (Xanthocephalus Zan- 
thocephalus) 
Red-winged Blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus arc- 
tolegus) 
Orchard Oriole (Icterus spurius ) 
Baltimore Oriole (Icterus galbula) 
Bronzed Grackle (Quiscalus quiscula aeneus) 
American Goldfinch (Astragalinus tristis tristis) 
English Sparrow (Passer domesticus hostilis) 
Duck Boat Channel Through the Sedges at Swan Lake.—Photo by Harry C. Oberholser. 
Ruddy Duck ( Erismatura jamaicensis) 
Sora Rail ( Porzana Carolina) 
Florida Gallinule ( Gallinula chloropus cachinnans) 
American Coot ( Fulica americana americana) 
Other Water-Birds 
Holboell Grebe ( Colymbus holboellii) 
Amierican Eared Grebe ( Colymbus nigricollis cali- 
fornicus) 
Pied-billed Grebe ( Podilymbus podiceps) 
Loon (Gavia immer) 
Franklin Gull (Larus franklinii) 
Forster Tern (Sterna forsteri) 
Black Tern ( Chilidonias niger surinamensis) 
Least Bittern (Ixobryohus exilis) 
Great Blue Heron ( Ardea herodias herodias) 
Black-crowned Night Heron (Nycticorax nyctic¬ 
orax naevius) 
Spotted Sandpiper ( Actitis macularia) 
Killdeer ( Oxyechus vociferus vociferus) 
Land Birds 
Mourning Dove ( Zenaidura macroura carolin- 
ensis) 
Yellow-billed Cuckoo ( Coccyzus americanus amer- 
icanus) 
Vesper Sparrow ( Spizella passcrina passerina) 
Chipping Sparrow ( Spizella passerina passerina) 
Song Sparrow ( Melospiza melodia) 
Scarlet Tanager ( Piranga erythromelas) 
Purple Martin ( Progne subis subis) 
Barn Swallow ( Hirundo erythrogastris) 
Tree Swallow ( Iridophocne bicolor) 
Cedar Waxwing ( Bombycilla cedrorum) 
Migrant Shrike ( Lanius ludovicianus migrans) 
Red-eyed Viro ( Vireosylva olivacea) 
Warbling Vireo (Vireosylva gilva gilva) 
Yellow-throated Vireo (Lanivireo jlavifrons) 
Yellow Warbler ( Dendroica acstiva aestiva) 
Maryland Yellow-throat (Geothlypis trichas brach- 
idactyla) 
Brown Thrasher (Toxostoma rufum rufum) 
Long-billed Marsh Wren ( Telmatodytes palustris 
iliacus) 
Black-capped Chickadee ( Penthcstes atricapillus 
atricapillus) 
House Wren ( Troglodytes aedon parkmanii) 
White-breasted ! Nuthatch ( Sitta carolinensis 
cookei) 
Willow Thrush (Hvlocichla fuscescens saHrim’*-' 
