} ‘ ‘ i 4 iL} il bitwidh, PUA Ae BY) tt Hit nr ite A i! ' ul: ) Hi tt ’ 4 yy } 7 ai Lot 4 i j - a? vie “A ; + i é ; ¥ r ~ e ae zr a ; 4 ii er i; Ay Rant i i A tl) ' te ; i ae dhs,! 7 » rae 1th yl nae! ‘ie a ; 8 [ a “ yee ran phat fait ‘ ; ' ae Fi a ity a Yh aie Ty's i iN i i mth vat ALBERT R. MANN LIBRARY New YorK STATE COLLEGES OF AGRICULTURE AND HoME ECONOMICS AT CORNELL UNIVERSITY iT A HISTORY OF THE BIRDS OF COLORADO A HISTORY OF THE BIRDS OF COLORADO BY WILLIAM LUTLEY SCLATER M.A.(Oxon.), M.B.0.U., Hon, M.A.0.U. (Lately Director of the Colorado College Museum) WITH SEVENTEEN PLATES AND A MAP WITHERBY & CO. 326 HIGH HOLBORN LONDON 1912 PRINTED BY WITHERBY & CO., AT THEIR PRINTING PRESS IN MIDDLE ROW PLACE, LONDON. TO THE MEMORY OF GENERAL WILLIAM JACKSON PALMER, OF GLEN EYRIE, NEAR COLORADO SPRINGS, TO WHOSE MANY KINDNESSES I OWE THE POSSIBILITY OF PREPARING THIS WORK. CONTENTS. List of Illustrations . Introduction A History of the Birds of Colorado . Bibliography Gazetteer Index PAGE ix 533 553 563 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. Portrait of General William Jackson Palmer Frontispiece PLATE. PAGE 1. Nesting Colony of Great Blue Heron . : 82 2. ie Great Blue Heron . : : ; \ ss Toung Night-Herons ‘ : ; Ptarmigan in September and March . . 148 Nesting Site of Western Redtail : . 174 5. Adult and Young of Rocky-Mountain Screech Owl . ‘ ; i “i ‘ . 204 6. Nest of Western Horned Owl . : . 210 7. Young Red-shafted Flickers ; : . 240 8. Nest of Broad-tailed Humming-bird . . 254 9. Arkansas Kingbird and Nest. , . 262 10. Horned Lark in the Snow : : . 280 11. Magpies from the Nest. ’ . . 284 12. White-headed Jay . ; ‘ - 290 13. Nest of Yellow-headed Blackbird : . 3804 14. Nest of House-Finch and Arkansas Goldfinch 332 15. Black-headed Grosbeak on the Nest . . 400 16. Nest of American Dipper . : ; . 476 Contour Map of Colorado ; ‘ : . 552 INTRODUCTION. peeaees some apology is necessary for the appear- ance of a new American Bird-book. Mine must be that the only complete work on Colorado Birds is that of Cooke, which, though brought up-to-date by successive supplements, is now out of print and very difficult to obtain. Moreover, Cooke gives no descriptions or keys, so that it is not of much use to the tyro who wishes to identify the birds which he has observed or obtained: The present volume is founded on the very complete collection of Colorado birds formed during the last thirty-five years by Mr. Charles E. Aiken, of Colorado Springs. This collection was recently acquired by General William J. Palmer, and presented by him to the Museum of Colorado College. As was well known to all General Palmer’s intimate friends, he was a great lover of Nature, and specially of the wild birds of his adopted State, and it was in accordance with his often expressed desire that I undertook the preparation of this work, and made use of the Aiken collection for the purpose. Before arrangements could be made for its publication his death occurred. The complete volume has, therefore, been dedicated to him ; and, as a personal memorial, the necessary expenses involved in publication have been defrayed by his sister- in-law, Mrs. William Lutley Sclater and his brother-in-law, Mr. Chase Mellen, of New York. A 2 xii Birds of Colorado PuysicaL FEATURES OF COLORADO. The State of Colorado lies near the centre of the United States, about two-thirds of the distance from the Atlantic to the Pacific coasts. It is quadrilateral in shape, measur- ing about 276 miles from north to south, and about 375 from east to west. It has an area of about 103,900 square miles. In general terms, the eastern third of the State consists of open, bare, dry plains, where the country is flat or rolling, and where there is hardly any timber except along the river bottoms. The elevation of these plains (the prairies) rises from about 3,500 feet at the Kansas border to 6,000 feet at the foothills of the Rocky Mountains. West of the 105th meridian, and rising with extra- ordinary abruptness from the plains to the east, the Rocky Mountains occupy roughly the middle third of the State. In a very general way the system forms two parallel ranges running north and south, joined by subsidiary east and west connections; between these are the great mountain parks, open wide valleys rather bare of trees, and situated at elevations of 7,000 to 8,000 feet. The chief of these are North and South Parks, drained by the North and South Platte rivers, which meet out in the plains of Nebraska and join the Missouri near Omaha ; Middle Park, drained by the Grand River, the principal affluent of the Colorado River of the west, draining into the Gulf of California; and the San Luis Valley, draining into the Rio Grande on the south. The western third of the State consists, to a large extent, of a series of descending plateaus through which the rivers, all tributaries of the Colorado, have cut cafions Introduction xill of varying depth, while there are several ranges, such as the Elk and the Gunnison mountains, rising above the plateaus. Colorado has the highest average elevation of all the States of the Union—6,800 feet—while there are a number of peaks of between 14,000 and 14,500 feet. Colorado lies within the arid region ; the rainfall east of the mountains seldom amounts to 20 inches, and is often less; in the mountains it often exceeds 30. The bulk of the rainfall is in the summer months, and the winter is generally dry. ANALYSIS OF THE Birp Fauna. The number of Colorado birds included in the present work is 392. Of these 225 may be considered regular breeders within the State. I have divided these into three catagories, viz.: (A) Those resident throughout the year, 67 in number; (B) The strict migrants which, so far as we know, never winter within the limits of the State, 118 in number; (c) Those birds which breed within the State and in winter are undoubtedly less numerous, so that they may be considered partly migrant and partly resident, 40 in number. The non-breeding birds number 167. Of these the largest category by far are the Casual or rare species, which have only been recorded on very few occasions ; these number 106. The other two groups, which are not always easy to separate satisfactorily, are the winter residents, numbering 28, and the birds which pass through the State on the Spring and Fall migration ; these are 33 in number. The following lists show the birds in these various categories. (A) Resident through the year—67, or about 17 per cent. :— xiv Birds of Colorado Histrionicus histrionicus, Colinus virginianus, Calli- pepla squamata, Lophortyx californicus (introduced), Dendragapus obscurus, Bonasa u. umbelloides, Lagopus leucurus, Tympanuchus americanus, Pedioceies p. cam- pestris, Centrocercus urophasianus, Meleagris g. merriamt, Archibuteo ferrugineus, Aquila chrysaétos, Haliwétus leucocephalus, Aluco wpratincola?, Bill strongly hooked and pointed. a® Three toes in front, one behind. a’ Feathers of the face forming a facial disk; eyes large and forwardly directed. Striges, p. 194. b? Feathers of the face not forming a facial disk ; eyes moderate and laterally directed. Accipitres, p. 161. b® Two toes in front, two behind ; cere sometimes feathered. Psittaci, p. 215. b> Bill more or less straight, not strongly hooked. Columbe, p. 156. bt No cere at base of upper mandible. a’ Hind toe small and elevated. Gallinz, p. 137. b& Hind toe well developed and on a level with the others. a’ Wing long of ten primaries ; tail of ten rectrices; bill very short with a very wide gape, or very long and slender, far exceeding the head. Machrochires, p. 241. b® Wing not very long; tail usually of twelve rectrices ; gape and bill moderate and normal. a’ Toes two in front and two behind; tail- feathers stiff and pointed: Pici, p. 222. b? Toes two in front and two behind, or three in front and one behind, if the latter, the middle and outer ones connected for half their length; tail-feathers not stiff and pointed. Coccyges, p. 216. ce’ Toes three in front and one behind; middle and outer toes not united. Passeres, p. 257. Pygopodes—Colymbide 3 ORDER PYGOPODES. This order contains diving birds, and includes the Grebes, Loons and Auks. The chief feature which they have in common is the completely posterior position of the legs, so that when resting on the ground the axis of the body is more or less vertical and the whole of the tarsus is often applied to the ground, while the tail lends additional support. Other external features are—nostrils never tubular or aborted ; wings short and rounded, never reaching the end of the tail, which is always short and sometimes absent ; tarsus compressed ; toes either webbed or lobate. Key OF THE FAMILIES AND GENERA. A. No obvious tail-feathers (Colymbide). a. Bill more or less slender and acute. ai Bill longer than the head ; tarsus, culmen and middle toe about equal. &chmophorus, p. 4. b! Bill equal to or shorter than the head ; tarsus shorter than the middle toe and claw. Colymbus, p. 5. b. Bill short, deep and strongly compressed, crossed by a black band. Podilymbus, p. 8. B. A tail of 18 to 20 short, stiff feathers (Gaviide). Gavia, p. 10. Family COLYMBIDA. Bill rather variable ; wing with twelve primaries, outer ones rather narrow and falcate ; tail practically absent, no obvious rectrices; tarsus extremely compressed, toes flattened and expanded into continuous lobes con- nected with each other at the base by an interdigital web; hind toe slightly elevated, lobe free from the other toes; claws flat and nail-like; head usually with crests or rufis in the breeding season; plumage thick and compact. B2 4 Birds of Colorado Genus ZECHMOPHORUS, Bill long, slender and pointed, clearly exceeding the head ; culmen straight ; neck long; tarsus, culmen and middle toe with claw all approximately equal, no very conspicuous crest or ruff. One species only in western United States. Western Grebe. MAchmophorus occidentalis. A.O.U. Checklist no 1—Colorado Records—Morrison, 89, p. 146; Kellogg 90, p. 90; H. G. Smith 96, p. 48; Cooke 97, pp. 49, 155, 191; Felger 09, p. 86. Description. Adult—Top of the head, which is slightly crested, and w line down the back of the neck black, becoming dusky brown on the back, with concealed white bases to the primaries and some white on the secondaries ; below from the bill, pure white, with a satiny gloss; iris orange-red to pink with a white ring, bill olivaceous, feet dusky, yellowish about the toes and inside of tarsus. Length 26; wing 8-25; tail 2:0; tarsus 2-9; bill 2-8. The female is smaller—wing 7-5. In winter the head and neck are dusky brown like the back. Distribution,—Breeding from Manitoba and Saskatchewan south to central Mexico, wintering in the southern part of the range. In Colorado the Western Grebe is of rare occurrence during the fall migration. It was first reported by Breninger from near Fort Collins (Morrison) and subsequently from Estes Park by Pierce (Kellogg), but the first undoubted record is that of H. G. Smith who saw three examples in a Denver taxidermist’s shop, which had been shot in October, 1888, on lakes in the immediate neighbourhood. Two were subsequently obtained on Sheldon’s Lake near Fort Collins on October 29th, 1898, and one of these individuals is now mounted in the Museum atthat place. Felger recently reports another example taken November 9th, 1902, at Citizen’s Lake, a few miles south-west of Denver; the skin is preserved in his collection. Habits.—The Western Grebe haunts rush-covered lakes where it rides the water lightly and easily. It is an expert diver, either sinking quietly out of sight or rising up and taking a header. Though difficult to flush from the water, it flies well and strongly. The nest is a raft- like structure of tall stems, grass and water-plants, Western Grebe 5 sometimes floating, sometimes built up from the shallow bottom ; the eggs, four to five, are dull bluish-white and measure 2°31 x 1°52. Genus COLYMBUS., Bill moderate, rather stout, hardly compressed, about equal to or less than the head, culmen usually slightly decurved at tip; middle toe and claw exceeding the culmen and the tarsus ; neck moderately long; head with a crest, or ruff or both. A large cosmopolitan genus with four species in the United States. Key or THE SpEcizs. a. Larger, with a longer bill, culmen over 2°0; throat white, part of neck rufous. C. holbeelli, p. 5. b. Smaller with shorter bill, culmen under 1-5. a’ Throat and neck black or dusky. C. n. californicus, p. 6. bt Throat dusky ; neck rufous. C. auritus, p. 6. ct Throat and neck dirty white. C. auritus, heims et juv, p. 6. Holboell’s Grebe. Colymbus holbelli. A.0.U. Checklist no 2—Colorado Records—Drew 85, p. 18 ; Morrison 88, p. 140; 89, p. 146; Cooke 97, pp. 49, 155. Description.—Adult—Crown (which bears a very short crest and inconspicuous ruffs) and nape greenish-black, a line down the neck and upper-parts black, with brown on the wings; sides of the head and throat silvery ash; neck, except along the dorsal line, rufous ; lower-parts silvery white, somewhat dappled; iris carmine, bill black, yellowish on the lower mandible. Length 19:0; wing 7°60; culmen 2:10; tarsus 2°50. : Young birds, and adults in winter, have the rufous of the neck replaced by ashy-brown or grey, the sides of the head and throat pure white, and the bill chiefly yellow. Distribution—Breeding from eastern Asia and Greenland, south to the northern row of states from, Washington to Minnesota ; in winter south to South Carolina and Monterey Bay in California. The status of this bird in Colorado is rathér indefinite. It is noted by Drew and Morrison as occurring in the south-western part of the State, but without any definite statement. On the other hand it has been obtained by Bond on lakes near Cheyenne in autumn. This is actually in Wyoming but only a few miles from the State border. It will probably be found to be a rare fall-migrant in the north-eastern part of the State. 6 Birds of Colorado Horned Grebe. Colymbus auritus. A.O.U. Checklist no 3—Colorado Records—Cooke 97, pp. 49, 155; Hersey & Rockwell 09, p. 101. Description—Adult—Crown, sides of the face and chin, together with ruff, glossy black; a yellowish stripe deepening to chestnut at the end, runs from the base of the bill through the eye and ends in a crest at the side of the nape; rest of the upper-surface, including the back of the neck, dusky black ; the secondaries white ; neck and sides rich rufous; rest of under-parts silky white; iris carmine with a white ring, bill dusky, tipped with yellow, feet dusky and yellow. Length 15-0; wing 5°5; culmen -90; tarsus 1-65. Adults in winter, and young birds, have very slight indications of the crests and ruff; the crown, back of the neck and back are dusky black ; the lower-parts white, tinged with grey on the neck and pale dusky on the sides. Distribution.—Throughout the northern hemisphere. In America, breeding chiefly north of the United States boundary, from Alaska to New Brunswick ; south in winter throughout the greater part of the States. This is another Grebe whose status as a Colorado bird is rather doubtful. Captain Thorne states that according to his journal he killed w specimen near Fort Lyon, on the Arkansas River, October 8th, 1887, but he does not appear to have preserved it. Mr. E. L. Berthoud informed Cooke that he had seen two Horned Grebes which had been killed on some lakes north-east of Golden ; and Hersey (09) saw two near Barr May 5th, 1906. It will probably be found to be a rare autumn migrant, like the two previous species. American Eared Grebe. Colymbus nigricollis californicus. A.O.U. Checklist no 4—Colorado Records—Henshaw 74, p. 243; 75, p. 489 ; Scott 79, p. 96; Allen & Brewster 83, p.198 ; Goss 84, p. 18; Morrison 89, p.146 ; W. G. Smith 89, p. 138 ; 90, p. 141; Osburn 90, p- 68; Cooke 97, pp. 19, 49, 191; Dille 03, p. 74; Warren 08, p. 20; 09, p. 13; Rockwell 08, p. 156; 10, p. 188 ; Henderson 09, p. 224. Description.—Adult—Crown, which is crested, neck all round, back, chin and throat, black ; auricular tufts golden to tawny, well developed and conspicuous ; primaries brown ; secondaries mostly white ; below from the breast silky white, the sides tawny-rufous and a little mottled with black ; iris carmine, bill black, feet dark olivaceous to blackish. Length 12; wing 5:0; culmen 1:0; tarsus 1:70. American Eared Grebe ; The adults in winter lack the crest and auricular tufts; the chin, throat and sides of the nape are white and the flanks slaty, without rufous. Young birds are very similar, but the upper-parts are rather lighter and duller. Distribution.—Western North America, from Great Slave Lake south to Guatemala, and from the Mississippi Valley to the Pacific. A common summer-resident in Colorado, where suitable conditions exist, arriving from the south at the end of April or beginning of May, and breeding from the plains to about 8,000 feet, chiefly in alkali lakes, Tho following are breeding records: Loveland (W. G. Smith), Barr, May to early July (Rockwell), Grand Lake 8,300 feet (Warren), Middle Park (Carter apud Cooke), Twin Lakes ? 9,300 feet (Scott), San Luis Lakes 7,500 feet (Henshaw), Plateau Valley, Mesa Co., 6,500 feet (Rockwell). It passes through the mountains on migration, and has been seen as high as 9,000 feet near, Crested Butte in spring, by Warren, and at Breckenridge by Carter. It is also met with along the foothills— El Paso co. (Aiken coll.), and Denver (Henshaw), on the plains as far east as Limon (Aiken), and on the western slope near Coventry on migration (Warren 09). Habits.—All Grebes resemble one another to a great extent in their habits; they are found almost exclu- sively on shallow lakes and ponds, the margins of which are thickly grown with reeds and rushes. They swim very low in the water and dive with great facility, having the power of sinking quietly down into the depths when alarmed, and moving under water with great rapidity by means of their lobed flipper-like feet. They feed chiefly on small aquatic insects and crustacea and perhaps small fish, and are accused of devouring trout ova and fry. On land they are very awkward, generally shuffling along on their bellies with the help of their wings, like a seal. They fly well, as is shewn by their very con- siderable migrating powers. Henshaw, who first noticed this bird in Colorado, found them nesting in considerable numbers at the San Luis Lakes near Fort Garland. The nests are generally 8 Birds of Colorado floating in about eighteen inches of water, and placed in a thick reed-bed ; they are built up of broken reeds and other debris and fastened round the growing reeds, but the whole structure is hardly high enough to keep the eggs dry. These, according to Henshaw, were three in number, though Smith (90) found four to be more usual. They are white in colour and sometimes roughened with a chalky deposit, but generally stained and soiled ; they measure 1°75 x 1°25. When the bird leaves the nest it invariably, if time allows, covers up the eggs with grass or other vegetable matter, in order to conceal them; and as they both leave and return to their nests by diving quietly, Henshaw believed that the eggs were partially, at any rate, hatched by the heat of the decaying vegetable matter with which he found them covered, but it is now generally agreed that this is done only for concealment. Henshaw was at San Luis Lakes on June 23rd, and Aiken found fresh eggs at the same place in July, while Dille gives June 19th as an average date for fresh eggs. Rockwell has recently published an illustrated account of its nesting habits at Barr, near Denver. Genus PODILYMBUS. Bill very short, deep and strongly compressed; no crest or ruff, but the frontal feathers rather stiff and bristle-like ; tarsus about three- fourths the length of the middle toe and claw, and nearly twice the culmen. Only one species found throughout most of America. Pied-billed Grebe. Podilymbus podiceps. A.0.U. Checklist no 6—Colorado Records—Ridgway 79, p. 234; Morrison 89, p. 147; W. G. Smith 89, p. 138 ; Osburn 90, p. 68 ; Cooke 97, pp. 18, 50, 191 ; Henderson 03, p. 107; 09, p. 224 ; Rockwell 10, p. 188 Pied-billed Grebe 9 Description.—Adult—Crown and back of the neck greyish-black, becoming a paler grey on the sides of the head and front of the neck ; a black oval patch on, the chin and throat ; rest of the upper-parts and. wings dark fuscous-brown; u little white on theinner webs of the secondaries ; below silvery white, but obscured on the sides and across the breast by dusky and buffy mottlings ; iris brown and white, bill yellowish, bluish-white in life, encircled by a broad black band, legs blackish. Length 13:0; wing 5:5; culmen -90; tarsus 1-75. In winter the bill is dull yellowish and has no black band ; the throat- patch is absent and there are more or less distinct pale edges to the feathers of the upper-parts. Young birds are like the adults in winter, but the throat and sides of the head have indistinct brownish streaks. Distribution—Nearly the whole of America, from Saskatchewan to Patagonia, breeding throughout most of its range; wintering from about New Jersey and the southern United States southwards. This Grebe does not appear to be a common bird in Colorado ; generally it is a summer resident but is more abundant on migration. The first breeding record is that of W. G. Smith who found several nests at Loveland, but it probably also breeds at San Luis Lakes as there is a specimen in the Aiken collection from that place, taken on July lst. It reaches Loveland in spring in the latter half of April, and was seen by Carter on migration at Breckenridge (Cooke). Warren informs me he has noticed it on a small lake near Crested Butte at 9,000 feet in October. It is included by Henderson in the Boulder co. list, and is a common breeder at Barr in May and June (Hersey & Rockwell), the letter of whom has recently published some notes and photographs of its nesting habits. I have not heard of it in the south- west or western part of the State, though it probably occurs there. Habits.—This, the most familiar of the Grebes in the East, is often known as the Water-witch, Hell-diver or Divedapper ; it does not materially differ from the other Grebes in its habits, nor has anything special been noticed about its occurrence in Colorado. Nests found by Smith in a lake close to Loveland contained six eggs as a rule and were, when first laid, a pale pea-green colour, but soon became stained by the wet weeds with which they were covered. A clutch of six eggs taken by I. C. Hall at Storm’s Lake near Greeley on May 25th, 1902, and presented by him to the Colorado College 10 Birds of Colorado Museum, were slightly incubated and show the charac- teristic staining over the pale green. They are oval in shape, rather pointed at one end, and average about 175 x 1°20. Family GAVIIDZ. The characters of the family are the same as those of the only genus. Genus GAVIA. Bill stout, strong and compressed, about as long as the head ; no crests or ruff; tail short, of 18 to 20 stiff feathers ; legs feathered to the upper tarsal joint ; tarsus strongly compressed ; four toes, the three anterior completely webbed; the hallux very short with a small semicircular lateral lobe, and connected with the others by w basal web, plumage dusky above, white below. Five species from the northern portions of both hemispheres. Key oF THE SPECIES. A. Back spotted with white. a. Head and neck black. a' Bill mostly black, white spots on the scapulars about square. G. immer, p. 10. b* Bill mostly yellow, white spots on the scapulars longer than broad. G. adamsi, p. 11. b. Head and back of the neck grey. G. arctica, p. 11. B. Back without spots. a. Back with paler grey margins, no spots on wing-coverts. a? Bill mostly yellow. G. adamsi, hiems, p. 11. b? Bill mostly black. G. immer, hiems, p. 10. b. A few spots on the wing-coverts. G. arctica, hiems, p. 11. Loon. Gavia immer. A.0.U. Checklist no 7—Colorado Records—Morrison 89, p. 147; Cooke 97, pp. 50, 191; Henderson 03, p. 234; 09, p. 224, Description.— Adult—Head and neck glossy greenish-black ; throat in front with two patches of white, and black streaks ; entire upper- parts black, spotted with white, except the upper tail-coverts and the primaries ; under-parts white, the sides of the breast striped with black ; iris red, bill and feet black. Length 34; wing 14-05; culmen 3-0; tarsus 3-5. Yellow-billed Loon li Adults in winter and young birds are brownish-black above and white below; the iris is brown and the bill is bluish-white, dusky along the culmen. The female is rather smaller than the male and the young bird has a markedly shorter bill. Distribution.— Widely spread over the northern portion of both hemispheres, the Loon in America breeds from along the northern border of the United States northwards to Alaska, and Greenland, and winters throughout the States to the Gulfs of Mexico and Cali- fornia. In Colorado it is a rare migrant and is not yet known to winter or to breed, though it has been taken at Sweetwater Lake, Garfield co. in July (Cooke). There isan example from Barr Lake near Denver, killed in April by S. Wood, in the Denver Museum of Natural History, and another from near Boulder, collected by L. Bragg, now in the Museum of the University of Colorado, while Aiken tells me a good many specimens have reached him from time to time in spring. Yellow-billed Loon. Gavia adamsi. A.O.U. Checklist no 8—Colorado Record—Cooke 97, p. 155. Description.—Resembling G. immer, but slightly larger, and head a longer yellowish-horn bill, which is dusky only at the base ; the with and neck are steel blue rather than green, and the white spots on the upper-parts are rather larger, those on the scapulars being longer than broad instead of square. Length about 36:0; wing 15-0; culmen 3°50 —3°75 ; tarsus 3°50. Distribution.—North-east Asia, Arctic America, from Behring Straits to Hudson Bay and north-west Europe, but hardly known in the United States. A young male Loon obtained by W. G. Smith near Loveland, May 25th, 1885, and now in the collection of Mr. M. Hardy, Brewer, Me., has been identified with this rare Arctic form. This constitutes the only Colorado record. Black-throated Loon. Gavia arctica. A.O.U. Checklist no 9—Colorado Records—Cooke 97, p. 192; Aiken 00, p. 298 ; Henderson 03, p. 234; 09, p. 225. Description.—Adult—Crown and nape grey; rest of the upper-parts, including the throat and fore-neck glossy black, the sides of the neck, back and wings streaked, barred and spotted with white; a band of white streaks on the throat; rest of the under-parts white, with a band of blackish at the base of the under tail-coverts; iris red, bill and feet blackish. Length 27:0; wing 12:5; culmen 2°50; tarsus 2°90. 12 Birds of Colorado Adults in winter and young birds are dusky black above, the feathers of the back margined with greyish, giving a scaly appearance ; below white ; the neck slightly speckled with dusky ; iris brown, bill bluish- grey, feet dusky greenish. ; Distribution. Breeding in the northern parts of both hemispheres, in America only far north from Hudson Bay to Alaska; in winter south, casually but rarely to the northern borders of the United States. The Black-throated Loon is a rare winter visitor to Colorado. Three examples were killed on Prospect Lake, close to Colorado Springs, in November, 1898, and another near the same place in the fall of 1882 (Aiken); an example in winter-dress obtained on Monument Creek, also close to Colorado Springs, November 5th, 1091, in the Aiken collection, is now preserved in the Colorado College Museum. Henderson considers his former record of this species too doubtful to be retained. ORDER LONGIPENNES. The members of this order, which includes the Gulls, Terns, Skimmers and Skuas, are chiefly marine forms, and are therefore not well represented in Colorado. They are all birds of medium size, with moderate- sized bills and simple, not tubular, nostrils ; the wings are long and consist of eleven primaries, the outer (twelfth) minute and hardly noticeable ; rectrices twelve in number, feet with the three front toes webbed, generally completely ; a small hind toe, not connected with the others, and jointed at a higher level, generally present. Key oF THE Famities AND GENERA. A. Bill with a horny cere overhanging and partially concealing the nostrils (Stercorariide). Stercorarius, p. 13. B. Bill without cere (Larida). a. Bill stout, hardly as long as the head ; upper mandible longer than the lower, with the tip hooked down over it. at Tail square. a? Hind toe very small or absent, without claw. Rissa, p. 14. b? Hind toe present and clawed, though small. Larus, p. 15. Parasitic Jaeger 13 b! Tail distinctly forked. Xema, p. 21. b. Bill long, straight and rather slender; both mandibles equal. at Tail short and nearly square; webs between the toes emarginate, Hydrochelidon, p. 24. b! Tail very distinctly forked; outer feathers elongated and pointed ; toes fully webbed. Sterna, p. 22. Family STERCORARIID:. Characters of the only genus. Genus STERCORARIUS. Bill stout and gull-like with a terminal hook covering the tip of the lower mandible, the basal two-thirds covered by a horny cere which overlaps the nostrils, so that the opening is much reduced; wings long and strong, outer primary the longest ; tail with the two centre feathers much produced; anterior toes fully webbed, hallux small and stumpy. Three species on the coasts of the United States. Parasitic Jaeger. Stercorarius parasiticus. A.O.U. Checklist no 37—Colorado Records—Ridgway 79, p. 232; Drew 85, p. 18 ; Morrison 89, p. 147; H. G. Smith 96, p. 48; Cooke 97, p- 50; Henderson 03, pp. 234, 109 ; 09, p. 225. Description.—Adult—In the sooty form or dark phase the plumage is dark brown throughout, darkest on the mantle, wings and tail; neck with acuminate rigid feathers streaked with golden straw ; outer primaries with white shafts. The light phase has the upper-parts slaty, becoming blackish on the crown, wings and tail, the throat and under-parts white; bill brownish-horn, darkest in front of the cere; legs black. Length about 18-0; wing 12-0; tail 4:5; to end of central feathers 8:0; culmen 1°3; tarsus 1-85. Distribution.—The Parasitic Jaeger has a circumpolar range in both hemispheres, breeding in America in Alaska, the Barren Grounds and Greenland, and wandering in the winter to South Africa, New Zealand and portions of South America, chiefly along the coast. It is only occasionally found inland. This bird is a rare fall and winter straggler in Colorado. There was an example in Mrs. Maxwell’s Museum, taken near Boulder, in December, sometime before 1874; H. G. Smith examined a young male in the dark phase, shot on Sloans Lake near Denver in the fall of 1889, and Lowe obtained « third example, now in his collection, on the Arkansas River below Pueblo in the fall of 1894, 14 Birds of Colorado Habits.—The Parasitic Jaeger, or as it is often called, Richardson’s Skua, is remarkable for presenting, irre- spective of age or sex, two very distinct phases of plumage —a light andadark. Birds of both phases pair with one another indiscriminately, where they meet, and the young are sometimes intermediate. This bird is parasitic in its mode of life; it seldom catches fishes for itself, but is constantly chasing smaller Gulls and Terns, and compelling them to disgorge their prey. So active is the Skua that it usually manages to catch the fish as it drops from the bill of the Gull, before it reaches the surface of the water. It is a purely marine form, but seldom seen inland, though it nests in the far north, on moorlands and swamps, using a slight depression in the ground scantily lined with grasses. The eggs, usually two in number, are olive-brown, marked heavily with chocolate. Family LARIDA. Bill without cere, middle tail-feathers never elongated. Genus RISSA. In most respects resembling Larus, but the hind toe rudimentary or absent, very rarely with a claw ; tail square ; tarsus short, less than the middle toe without claw ; toes fully webbed. Two species only of circumpolar range. Kittiwake. Rissa tridactyla. A.O.U. Checklist no 40—Colorado Records—Ridgway 79, p. 232; Cooke 97, p. 50; Henderson 09, p. 225. Description.—Adult—Head, neck, tail and under-parts pure white, back and wings pearl-grey ; outer web of the first primary and the last three inches of the tip of both first and second primaries black ; the third to fifth black subterminally with an increasing white tip ; hind toe very small—a minute knob without claw ; bill yellowish, feet black. Length 17; wing 12; tail 4-5; culmen 1-40; tarsus 1-3. ! Kittiwake 15 In winter the top of the head and back of the neck are washed with pearl-grey, and there is a dark spot above the eye. Young birds have a dusky spot in front and behind the eye ; a broad bar across the neck behind ; the lesser and median coverts, bastard quills, inner secondaries and a terminal bar on the tail black ; the four outer primaries black, except for the inner half of the inner webs, the 5th and 6th black only at their ends, with a white speck at the tip; bill black and feet yellowish. Distribution—The northern parts of the northern hemisphere. In America breeding on the Atlantic coasts from the Magdalen Islands northwards to Hudson Bay and Greenland ; in winter south along the Atlantic coast and to the Great Lakes. An example of this species, said to have been taken in Boulder co. in December, and preserved in Mrs. Maxwell’s collection, is the only ione recorded from Colorado. Genus LARUS. Bill stout and hooked, the upper mandible slightly longer than the lower and bent down over its tip ; bill shorter than the head and without cere ; wings moderately long ; tail square or nearly so ; front toes fully webbed, hind toe quite small but usually perfect, and provided with a claw. A large genus spread all over the world, except the central Pacific ; about eighteen species in the United States. Key or THE SPECIES. A. Larger, wing over 16; bill yellow with a red spot near the tip of the lower mandible. a. Mantle dark slate ; two or three outer primaries tipped with white. L. occidentalis, p. 16. b. Mantle pale pearly-grey; outer primaries with a subapical white spot as well as a white tip. L. argentatus, p. 16. B. Medium, wing 14—16; bill yellow with a transverse black band. a. Tarsus about equal to the middle toe and claw; « red spot on, the lower mandible. L. californicus, p. 17. b. Tarsus obviously longer than the middle toe and claw; no red spot on the lower mandible. L. delawarensis, p. 17. C. Smaller, wing under 13°5; hooded, ie. head and neck black, in summer. a. Bill and feet reddish (in summer). al Larger, wing over 12; tarsus longer than the middle toe and claw. L. atricilla, p. 18. bt Smaller, wing under 12, tarsus about equal to the middle toe and claw. L. franklini, p. 19. b. Bill black, feet reddish. L. philadelphia, p. 20. 16 Birds of Colorado Western Gull. Larus occidentalis. A.O.U. Checklist no 49—Colorado Record—Cooke 97, p. 50. Description.—Adult—Mantle dark slaty; primaries, including the inner webs of the first, second and usually the third, black tipped with white ; rest of the plumage white ; eyelid vermilion ; bill chrome-yellow with a vermilion spot at the angle ; feet flesh-coloured. Length 24; wing 165; culmen 2°30; tarsus 2°75. In winter adults have the top of the head and back of the neck streaked with dusky. Young birds are brownish-slaty above, varied with buff and whitish; quills and tail-feathers dull black, usually tipped with white ; under-parts brownish-grey, speckled with whitish ; bill black. Distribution.—The Pacific coast, breeding from British Columbia to Lower California, occasionally wandering inland. Its inclusion in the Colorada avifauna rests on the statement of Professor Wm. Osburn, who informed Cooke he took ani example at Loveland, September 30th, 1889. Herring-Gull. Larus argentatus. A.O.U. Checklist no 51—Colorado Records—H. G. Smith 86, p. 285 ; Morrison 89, p. 147; Cooke 97, p. 50; Felger 09, p. 277. Description.—Closely resembling the Western Gull, but with a less robust bill and lighter, paler blue mantle ; the outer primary is black, becoming slaty towards the base, and has a white tip and subapical white spot on both inner and outer webs, as « rule; the other quills are usually without the subapical spot, but have the white tip ; iris silvery to pale yellow, bill bright yellow with a vermilion spot on the mandible, legs flesh-colour. Length 24; wing 17:18; culmen 2°40; tarsus 2°75. In winter the head and neck are streaked with dusky and the bill is duller. Young birds are mottled with dusky above and below; the wing and tail-feathers are dusky blackish, narrowly edged at the tips with white ; iris brown, bill dusky blackish, flesh-coloured towards the base. Disribution.—The Northern Hemisphere generally; in America breeding from Minnesota, the Great Lakes and Maine, north to Labrador, Hudson Bay and perhaps Alaska ; in winter south to Cuba and on the Pacific coast to Lower California. The Herring-Gull is only a straggler in Colorado ; a young bird shot on @ lake near Denver, November 17th, 1883, is said by H. G. Smith to be preserved in the collection of A. W. Anthony ; Breninger informed Cooke that he had observed it near Fort Collins. There is a young California Gull 17 mounted male in the Colorado Museum of Natural History at Denver, taken at Valagoe Lake near Greeley, while Felger states that it is not uncommon at Barr, where it is found associating with the Ringbills. California Gull. Larus californicus. A.O.U. Checklist no 53—Colorado Records—Morrison 89, p. 147; Cooke 97, pp. 50, 192; Warren 09, p. 13. Description.—Adult—Mantle slaty-grey, rather pale and delicate ; rest of the plumage white; primaries black, tipped with white, and white and slaty-grey at the bases ; the outer one with a large subapical white spot across both webs and the shaft; the second with a much smaller subapical spot divided into two by the black shaft; tips of the secondaries white ; iris brown, eyelids yellow or red, bill chrome- yellow with a bright vermilion patch at the angle of the lower man- dible, followed by a transverse bar of black across both, feet bluish- green, yellow on the webs. Length 20; wing 15-5; tail 5-75 ; culmeni 1:80; tarsus 2°25. In winter the head and neck are streaked with dusky and the bill is dull. Young birds are mottled with dusky, buffy and grey; the wings and tail are blackish and the bill dusky with a black tip. Distribution.— Western North America from Alaska to Mexico, breeding chiefly in the interior, especially on Great Salt Lake in Utah ; wintering chiefly on the coast. The California Gull is an occasional or transient visitor to Colorado ; but has seldom been observed or obtained. Professor Wm. Osburn procured one specimen at Loveland, May 7th, 1890, and there are two examples in the Carter collection now in the Denver Museum of Natural History—one taken in Middle Park, April 28th, 1884, the other at Denver, October 26th, 1878. According to Warren, C. H. Smith saw one at Coventry in 1905. This completes the list of definite records. Ring-billed Gull. Larus delawarensis. A.O.U. Checklist no 54—Colorado Records—Allen & Brewster 83, p. 198 ; Drew 85, p. 18 ; Woodbury 87, p. 116 ; Morrison 89, p. 147 ; Cooke 97, pp. 18,51, 192 ; Henderson 03, p. 234 ; 09, p. 225; Rockwell 08, p. 157; Warren 09, p. 13. Description.—Adult—Mantle pearly to pale slaty-grey, gradually whitening on the secondaries; head all round, under-parts and tail white ; first primary black, with a white subapical spot divided by the dark shaft, and with the basal half of the inner web white; second to sixth primaries black with increasing pale basal portions and white Cc 18 Birds of Colorado tips, a small subapical white spot generally on the inner web of the second ; iris straw-yellow with red on the eyelid, bill greenish-yellow with a yellow tip and « subapical black band, feet greenish-yellow. Length 18-0; wing 14:25; tail 5-25; culmen 1:5; tarsus 2-0. In winter the head and neck are spotted with dusky. Young birds are mottled with dusky above and below, especially on the wing-coverts ; the primaries are black and there is no subapical spot on the first ; the tail has a broad subterminal black band ; bill yellow on basal, black on terminal half. Distribution.—Breeding chiefly in the interior of America, from Colorado and Newfoundland northwards to Hudson Bay and the Barren Grounds. In winter, on the Atlantic and Pacific coasts south to Cuba and Mexico. This is the only Gull which can be called at all common in Colorado. It is fairly abundant on migration in spring and autumn, and has been found breeding on the San Luis Lakes by Cocke. Migration records are—Fort Lyon, March 23rd (Cooke), near Colorado Springs, March 3lst to May Ist (Aiken coll,), Barr Lake in summer and winter, but not known to breed (Hersey & Rockwell), near Orchard may be seen in March (Warren), Loveland, March 9—20th (Cooke), all in the plains and foothills; Twin Lake (Aiken coll.), South and Middle Parks in spring (Carter), in the mountains ; and on the western slopes—Grand River, near Grand Junction, June (Rockwell), Norwood near Coventry, April, 1906 (Warren). Habits.—This Gull is found about lakes and rivers, and has a singular habit of catching grasshoppers and other insects in the air, noticed by both Allen and Goss. Cooke found it breeding quite commonly at San Luis Lakes (7,500 feet) June 18th, 1898, but gives no further details. The nest, as with other Gulls, is placed on the ground, usually on islands in lakes and ponds, and is made chiefly of grasses ; the eggs, 2 to 3 in number, are whitish to clay-coloured, rather evenly spotted with chocolate ; they measure 2°30 x 1°65. Laughing Gull. Larus atricilla. A.O.U. Checklist no 58—Colorado Records—Morrison 89, p. 147; H. G. Smith 96, p 48; Cooke 97, p. 51. Description.—Adult in summer—Head all round slaty-black, mantle bluish-grey, rest of the plumage, except the primary quills, white, a Franklin’s Gull 19 faint rosy tinge on the breast fading after death ; three outer primaries black, the fourth and fifth black toward the end, all but the first usually with a small apical spot; iris blackish, eyelids and bill carmine, feet dusky red. Length 16-50 ; wing 13-0; tail 5-0 ; tarsus 2:0 ; culmen 1-75. In winter there is no hood, and the head is white with a little blackish, and the breast has no rosy tinge; bill and feet dusky. Young birds are mottled with greyish and brown above, the tail has a broad sub- terminal band of blackish-brown, and the quills are the same colour ; upper tail-coverts white. Distribution.—Breeding chiefly on the Atlantic and Gulf coasts from Maine to Texas, and on the Pacific coast of Mexico; in winter to the West Indies and northern South America as far as the Amazons and Peru ; rare inland. This Gull has been reported from Fort Lyon by Captain Thorne (Morrison), while H. G. Smith identified an example killed at Sloans Lake, in the western, suburbs of Denver, in December, 1889. These are the only recorded occurrences in Colorado. Franklin’s Gull. Larus franklini. A.O.U. Checklist no 59—Colorado Records—Cooke 97, pp. 19, 51; Felger 09, p. 278; Hersey & Rockwell 09, p. 110. Description.—Adult—Head all round slaty-black with » white ring round and chiefly behind the eye; mantle slaty-grey, nearly greyish- blue ; rest of the plumage, except the quills, white tinged with rosy- pink on the breast; first primary chiefly white on the inner and tip of the outer web, dusky slate on the outer web, and with a rounded black spot on the inner web about 1-25 inches from the tip ; the next four slaty, paling to white at the tip and crossed by a subterminal band of black; eyelids orange, bill red with « darker subterminal band ; legs dusky red. Length 13:5; wing 11-25; tail 4:0; culmen 1:25; tarsus 1-70. In winter the hood is absent, the head is white with a few dusky feathers and the breast has no rosy tinge. Young birds have the top and sides of the head and back greyish-brown, the quills dusky tipped with white, and the tail with «1 subterminal band of dusky ; forehead, eye-spot and under-parts white. Distribution.—Breeding in the interior of North America from Iowa northwards to Manitoba and the interior of the Dominion ; south on migration from the Mississippi Valley to Utah, wintering in Mexico and Central America and as far south as Peru. Though quite a common, bird on migration, both in Kansas and Utah, Franklin’s Gull is hardly known from Colorado. In fact the c2 20 Birds of Colorado only record is that of W. G. Smith who took it at Loveland, on May 6th, while Anthony examined one in Denver, stated to have been killed near by. Felger reports that Miss Patten noticed this Gull, May 8th,1905, near Yuma, and Hersey (09) saw one at Barr, October 17th, 1907. Habits—This beautiful Gull, called by the farmers on the plains of eastern Kansas the ‘Prairie Pigeon ” or ‘‘ Prairie Dove,” is frequently found far from water on arable lands in the spring, following the plough and picking up worms and insects, while in the autumn it destroys immense numbers of grasshoppers. In Utah, Mr. Bailey tells us that Brigham Young used to offer up prayers that they should be sent to destroy the locusts and destructive insects. It seems strange that it should have been so seldom noticed in Colorado. The nest is placed on the ground, on islands among lakes and rivers or often in marshes and sloughs, and is made chiefly of rushes and grasses. They breed in large communities. The eggs, usually three, vary a good deal, but are generally olive-green to drab, splashed with bold markings of sepia. They measure about 21 x 1°44, Bonaparte’s Gull. Larus philadelphia. A.O.U. Checklist no 60—Colorado Records—Ridgway 79, p. 232; Morrison 89, p. 147; Cooke 94, p.182; 97, pp. 51, 155, 193; H. G. Smith 96, p. 48. Description.— Adult in summer—Head all round slaty-black ; a white ring round the eye broken in front ; mantle pearl-grey, rest of plumage white, washed with rosy below; outer primary white with the outer web and tip black, the next five white, tipped with black ; iris dark brown ; eyelids red, bill black, legs red. Length 13; wing 10-0; tail 3°6; culmen 1:0; tarsus 1:25. In winter the head is white tinged with grey behind, and there is a dusky spot on the ear-coverts and in front of the eye ; the bill is lighter coloured at the base of the lower mandible and the feet flesh. Young birds in the first winter are like the winter birds but have a patch of dusky on the wing-coverts and black on the outer Sabine’s Gull 21 and inner web along the shaft of the three or four outer primaries, and a black subterminal bar across the tail with a narrow terminal band of white. Distribution. Breeding from Manitoba northwards to Hudson Bay and Alaska; on migration both along the coasts and in the interior of the United States and the coasts of western Mexico. In Colorado Bonaparte’s Gull is an occasional visitor on migration, chiefly in the fall. It has been taken about half a dozen times on the plains at the eastern bases of the mountains from, Pueblo to Fort Collins in October and November, and by Carter on the spring migration in Middle Park. The records are: Pueblo, November 15th, H. W. Nash (Cooke), near Colorado Springs (Aiken coll), near Denver on three occasions in October and November (H. G. Smith), Barr Lake, one killed but not preserved, fall of 1907 (Hersey), and Fort Collins (Cooke). Genus XEMA. Resembling the smaller forms of Larus, with hooded head in summer and with a slender bill, but the tail distinctly forked though not for more than the length of the tarsus. One species only. Sabine’s Gull. Xema sabini. A.O.U. Checklist no 62—Colorado Records—Ridgway 79, p. 232 ; W. G. Smith 89, p. 176; Morrison 89, p. 147; H. G. Smith 96, p. 48; Cooke 97, pp. 51, 155, 193 ; Henderson 03, p. 234; 07 p. 198 ; 09, p. 225. Description. Adult—Head all round deep slaty, bordered by a narrow ring of velvety black ; lower part of neck, tail, under-parts, inner primaries, most of secondaries and greater coverts white ; mantle and the inner secondaries slaty-blue ; outer primaries black, with the half of the inner web away from the shaft and tips white ; eyelids orange, bill black on the basal, yellow on the apical half, feet black. Length 13 ; wing 10°75; tail to fork 3° 75, to longest feather 5-0; culmen 1-0; tarsus 1°25. In winter the head and neck are white with u little dusky on the ear-coverts and back of the head. Young birds are like the winter birds, but the back of the head and neck as well as the mantle is slaty, most of the feathers edged and tipped with whitish ; the outer primaries are more black and the white tips are small or wanting ; the tail has a subterminal bar of black, becoming narrower towards the outer feathers, and is less forked; the bill and legs are flesh-coloured and dusky, and the dimensions are smaller—wing 10-25. 22 Birds of Colorado Distribution—Breeding far north in north-east Asia, and Arctic America from Alaska to Greenland, irregularly south in winter through the United States to the Bermudas. Sabine’s Gull occasionally strays to Colorado during the fall migration. There are about half a dozen well authenticated records both from the plains and the mountains. W. G. Smith obtained a male at Love- land, October 12th, 1889, and H. G. Smith about the same time saw one in the flesh in Denver, killed October 1st; Carter obtained a specimen from an Alpine lake above 10,000 feet near Breckenridge, September 26th, 1886, and Aiken another at Manitou Park, Teller co., about 8,000 feet, October 12th, 1897 (Cooke). James Cowie shot one out of w flock of six on w lake near Boulder, September 15th, 1907, which is now in the Museum of the University of Colorado (Henderson). There is a young female in the Colorado College Museum, collected by J.G.Frey at Salida, September 26th, 1908 ; and another in the Museum at Denver, taken by Hersey, October 31st, 1896, at Barr, where it is also not infrequent on migration in March. Genus STERNA. Bill long, pointed and compressed, both mandibles of equal length ; wings very long and pointed, the outer primary the longest ; tail strongly forked, always for more than the length of the tarsus, the outer feathers elongated, attenuated and pointed, sometimes to a considerable extent ; tarsus short, less than the middle toe and claw; toes fully webbed. A large genus of world-wide distribution on the seas and inland waters ; about ten species in the United States. Key or THE SPECIES. A. Outer web of the outer tail-feather white, inner grey. S. forsteri, p. 22. B. Outer web of the outer tail-feather grey, inner white. w. Dark band on the inner web along the shaft of the primaries broader, occupying about half the web. S. hirundo, p. 24. b. Dark band on the inner web narrower, about a quarter the width of the web. S. paradiszea, p. 24. Forster’s Tern. Sterna forsteri. A.0.U. Checklist no 69—Colorado Records—Ridgway 73, p. 188; Allen & Brewster 83, p. 198; Morrison 89, p. 147; Cooke 97, pp. 19, 51, 193 ; Felger 02, p. 294; 09, p. 278; Dille 03, p. 74. Description.—Adult in summer—Top of the head black ; upper-parts pearl-grey ; below white ; rump white, tail becoming a little dusky Forster’s Tern 23 on the outer feathers, very long and narrow, white on the outer, dusky grey on the inner, web ; bill orange-red, dusky at the tip, legs orange- red, Length 15-0 (to end of tail) ; wing 9°5 ; tail to fork 2°5, to longest feather 6-0 to 8:0; culmen 1°5; tarsus ‘85. In winter the black cap is lost, but the nape is always slightly varie- gated with dusky and there is a black band on either side through the eye- and ear-coverts ; bill and feet duller coloured. Young birds are mottled on the head and back with brownish, the primaries are less silvery and the tail brownish and deeply emarginate, but less so than in the adult. Bill smaller and weaker and brownish-black. Distribution.—Breeding locally from Texas north through the middle states and Utah to Manitoba and the Fur countries and along the coast to Cobb’s Island, Virginia, and in California; south in winter as far as Guatemala and Brazil Forster’s Tern was reported as a breeding bird in Colorado as long ago as 1873 by Ridgway, though no definite evidence of the fact was given. In more recent years it has been observed to arrive at Loveland about May 5th from the south, and Felger has found it breeding at Barr Lake near Denver on May 19th, where Hersey informs me there is a colony of about fifty birds in summer. It may be considered a regular resident in summer in parts of north-east Colorado. Habits.—All the Terns have much the same habits. They are all birds of swift and easy flight, coursing through the air like Swallows, generally in the neigh- bourhood of, or over, water. They can often be seen with their heads and bills pointed downwards toward the water, watching for a fish or insect. Suddenly they plunge down but seldom become quite submerged ; turning sharply on the surface, they rise again with the morsel in their beaks. They nest in large communities, generally on a slight elevation in grassy swamps or marshes. The nest is made up of weeds or grasses and the eggs, usually three, are very variable—from whitish or buffy to olive-brown, heavily marked with chocolate. They measure 1:80 x 1:30. They are roving birds having a harsh, grating cry, to which they give vent especially when they are disturbed on their nests. 24 Birds of Colorado CommonTern. Sterna hirundo. A.O.U. Checklist no 70—Colorado Record—Cooke 09, p. 314. Description.—Resembling the Arctic Tern in the arrangement of the coloration of the tail-feathers, but with a longer tarsus averaging longer than the middle toe without claw, and with the dark bands on the inner web of the outer primary much more distinct and wide, averaging ‘25 to ‘30 instead of -12 to -15; bill red, usually with dusky tip, feet vermilion. Dimensions about the same. Distribution.—A common species found over the greater part of the world north and south ; breeding chiefly in arctic cireumpolar regions. One example, taken May 14th, 1908, at New Windsor by Geo. Osterhout, was sent to Cooke for identification. This is the only Colorado record. Arctic Tern. Sterna paradisea. A.0.U. Checklist no 71—Colorado Records—H. G. Smith 96, p. 48; Cooke 97, p. 51. Description.—Closely resembling Forster’s Tern but smaller, though with a longer wing and with the outer web of the outer tail-feather grey or dark and the inner web white, instead of the reverse ; under- parts slightly paler than the mantle but hardly white ; bill red without dusky tip, feet vermilion. Length 14—17, varying with length of tail; wing 10-0; tail 2°5, to longest feather 6-5 to 8°5; culmen 1-20; tarsus ‘65. Distribution,—Breeding in the circumpolar regions of the Old and New Worlds; in America from Alaska and Labrador south to Massachusetts. In winter ranging widely throughout the world’s coasts to South Africa and South America, as well as in many parts of the United States. The Arctic Tern is a rare straggler in Colorado. An example killed at Marston’s Lake near Denver in the spring of 1887 was identified as this species by Ridgway (H. G. Smith); while a second, an adult male, was taken by W. G. Smith at Loveland, July 9th, 1889 (Cooke). Genus HYDROCHELIDON. Closely allied to Sterna but with a very short tail, less than half the wing and very slightly forked ; with feeble legs, the webs Much indented so that the toes appear to be only half webbed ; lower-parts of the body always black, or very dark grey in the breeding season. Four species, only one in North America. Black Tern 25 Black Tern. Hydrochelidon nigra surinamensis. A.O.U. Checklist no 77—Colorado Records—Aiken 72, p. 210 Coues 74, p. 708 ; Drew 83, p. 18 ; Morrison 89, p. 147 ; Cooke 97, p. 52 ; Henderson, 03, p. 234; 09, p. 225; Warren 08, p. 20. Description.—Adult in summer—Head and nape all round and under- parts to the vent jet black ; under tail-coverts white ; above from the nape silvery grey, a little duskier on the primaries ; iris brown, bill black, feet reddish-brown. Length 8°5; wing 8°30; tail 3°40; culmen 1:0; tarsus °65. In winter the black of the head and under-parts is replaced by white, but the hind half of the crown is dusky grey and there is a dusky bar from the ear-coverts to the eye; above as in the summer, but many of the feathers edged with whitish. Young birds resemble the winter adults but have a good deal of brown about the scapulars and a marked black crescent in front of the eye. Distribution.—Breeding from the middle states from Kansas and Illinois north to Hudson Bay and Alaska ; south in winter as far as Chili and Brazil. Along the Atlantic coast on migration only. The Black Tern is a not very uncommon summer resident in Colorado, breeding in communities where suitable conditions occur, chiefly in the eastern plains portion of the State. It is probably still more common on migration. Coues saw a large colony on the Arkansas River near Fort Lyon on, June 10th, 1864, which were probably breeding, and there are eggs in the Colorado College Museum presented by I. C. Hall, and taken by him on Storms Lake near Greeley, May 26th, 1902. There are a few birds on Barr Lake and several single nests have been taken by Hersey and Rockwell. Other references are El Paso co. (Aiken), Boulder co. plains (Henderson), and Bear Lake near Steamboat Springs in Routt co., where Warren saw a dozen or fifteen flying about, June Ist; this is the only definite record from the western slope. Habits.—The Black Tern is usually seen in flocks of larger or smaller size, flying over or near water, either a river, lake or marsh. “The flight is buoyant in the extreme,” says Coues, ‘‘and wayward, desultory and uncertain ; perhaps no bird of this country has so great an expanse of wing for its weight, certainly none fly more lightly. In hovering along on the look-out for insects, they hold the bill pointing straight down like other Terns. In the spring I have observed them plunging 26 Birds of Colorado into the water for food, probably small fry, but in the fall they seem to feed chiefly on winged insects,” and specially on dragon-flies. They breed, as already remarked, in large companies ; their nests consist merely of a heap of decaying rushes and other vegetable matter, piled up in the shallow water of a lake or marsh. The eggs, 2 to 4, are pale brownish or greenish-olive, thickly blotched and spotted with very dark chocolate; they are rather pointed at one end and measure 1°30 x 1:0. Hall’s eggs were fresh and taken somewhat early—on May 26th—the more more usual nesting-time is June. ORDER STEGANOPODES. This order contains a number of swimming and diving birds, such as the Cormorants, Darters, Gannets and Pelicans ; they can be recognized at a glance by a very obvious external character; the feet are totipalmate, that is, all the toes, including the first or hallux, which is turned forwards more or less parallel to the other toes, are fully webbed. Key oF THE Famiiies AND GENERA. a. Bill shorter than the middle toe, compressed ; gular sac small, hardly distensible (Phalacrocoracide). Phalacrocorax, p. 26. b. Bill much longer than the middle toe, flattened and depressed ; gular sac large and greatly distensible (Pelecanide), Pelecanus, p. 28. Family PHALACROCORACID. Characters of the Genus. Genus PHALACROCORAX, Bill subcylindrical and slightly compressed, the upper mandible strongly hooked at the tip; nostril rudimentary; wings short and rounded ; tail of twelve or fourteen feathers rather short and stiff; tarsus short and compressed ; all the toes well webbed. Double-crested Cormorant 27 A large and cosmopolitan genus of about forty species, five in the United States. Key or THE SPECIES. a. Larger, wing over 110; no white gorget. P. auritus, p. 27. b. Smaller, wing under 11:0. a white gorget along the edge of the gular sac in the breeding plumage. P. v. mexicanus, p. 28. Double-crested Cormorant. Phalacrocorax auritus. A.O.U. Checklist no 120—Colorado Records—Ridgway 79, p. 234 (P. dilophus) ; H. G. Smith 86, p. 285; 96, p. 48; Morrison 89, p. 148; Cooke 97, pp. 52, 156; Felger 09, p. 279. Description.—Adult—Plumage glossy greenish-black, the feathers of the scapulars and wings slaty with black borders ; a few long curly feathers above and behind the eye form a double crest; tail of twelve feathers ; iris green, eyelids blue, bill yellow, darker along the culmen ; gular sac orange and convex in shape posteriorly, feet dull black. Length about 32; wing 12:0; tail 6:0; culmen 2°10; tarsus 2-20. The crests are lost in the winter and the eyelids are not so blue; young birds are dark brown, paling on the throat and breast to almost white. Distribution.—The greater part of North America on the coast and in the interior ; breeding from the Bay of Fundy and North Dakota northwards ; south in winter to the Gulf coast. In Colorado this Cormorant can only be regarded as a straggler in, the fall migration ; there are about four definite records, all from the neighbourhood of Denver in the fall between 1885 and 1891, given by H. G. Smith, and others by Felger. Aiken informs me that he has examined a few examples killed near Colorado Springs. Habits——Cormorants are generally found about the sea coast, and this species is the only one which is widely distributed in the interior parts of North America. They are expert fishers and swim and dive with great ease ; they seize their prey in their powerful bills under water, and on returning to the surface they toss the fish in the air and swallow it head first. When not fishing, much of their time is spent sitting and sunning themselves on rocks or posts on the beach. They nest in com- munities on the rocks or in the cliffs beside the sea, and 28 Birds of Colorado on trees in the interior, laying pale bluish eggs of oval shape, often covered with a chalky investment. They have been reported to breed in Utah and Wyoming, but not hitherto in Colorado. Mexican Cormorant. Phalacrocorax vigua mexicanus. A.O.U. Checklist no 121—Colorado Record—Felger 01, p. 189. Description. Resembling P. auritus but smaller—wing 10°0 to 105 —and with a white gorget bordering the gular sac behind and almost reaching the eye; the white nuptial plumes form @ packet on either side of the head, and others are scattered on the neck and belly. Length about 28; wing 10-0; tail 6°0; tarsus and culmen about 2°0. In winter the gorget and nuptial plumes are absent. Young birds are greyish-brown, paler and whiter below. Distribution.—The coasts of the Gulf of Mexico and the West Indies, north along the Mississippi Valley to Kansas and Illinois, A. H. Felger reports that an adult male of this species was taken at Smith’s Lake, fourteen miles north of Denver, October 15th, 1899 ; it was identified by himself and by H. G. Smith. This is the only Colorado record. Family PELECANID. Characters of the only genus. Genus PELECANUS. Bill long and flattened, the culmen forming a rounded ridge and ending at the tip in # downward curved hook; nostrils small and rudimentary ; a very large gular pouch of naked skin depending from between the two somewhat flexible rami of the lower jaw and reaching posteriorly some way down the neck; wing long, tail short, slightly wedge-shaped, of twenty-two to twenty-four feathers. Eleven species are generally recognized ; three of these occur in the United States. American White Pelican. Pelecanus erythrorhynchos. A.O.U. Checklist no 125—Colorado Records—Ridgway 73, p. 188; Drew 85, p. 18; Beckham 85, p. 144; Morrison 89, p. 148; Cooke 97, pp. 18, 52, 193; Rockwell 08, p. 157; Henderson 09, p. 225; Felger 09, p. 279. American White Pelican 29 Description.—Adult—Plumage white throughout, except for the primaries, their coverts, and some of the secondaries, which are black ; some elongated feathers on the occiput, breast and lesser wing-coverts straw-yellow; tail with twenty-four feathers; iris pearl-white, bill, which bears a horny excrescence on the culmen, orange-red with the ridge of the culmen whitish; bare skin, about the eye, gular pouch and feet orange. Length 60:0; wing 24:0; tail 6:0; culmen 12:0; tarsus 4°5. After the breeding season the excrescence is lost, and the crest is replaced by a dusky spot. In winter the occiput is white and the bill, pouch and feet are yellow not orange. Young birds are like the winter adults, but have a little grey on the top of the head and on the lesser coverts. Distribution.—Breeding chiefly in the western interior of North America, from Oregon and Utah north to Hudson Bay; in winter south to the Gulf of California and Mexican coasts as far as Guatemala. The Pelican was formerly not uncommon on migration, while a few are said to have bred in Colorado. Of late years, no doubt owing to increase of population, it has been less often seen, nor have I met with any undoubted account of its nesting within the State. It arrives from the south at the end of April, and has been noticed by W. G. Smith at Loveland on the 23rd of that month. On May 22nd, 1898, nine out of a flock of eighteen were killed on Prospect Lake on the confines of Colorado Springs, and a flock of forty was seen near Denver in the spring of the same year. It is an irregular summer resident at Barr but not known to breed (Hersey & Rockwell). In the fall migration it appears to pass through the mountains, and has been observed by Carter at an elevation of 13,000 feet, and there is an example in his collection killed near Breckenridge, August 10th, 1892. It is also recorded from San Luis Valley in October, and from Grand Junction on the western slope, where Mr. Sullivan saw a flock of eight, September 4th, 1904. Habits.—White Pelicans are found on the sea coasts and in the interior, chiefly along the larger rivers and in marshes where there is a plentiful supply of fish, on which they feed almost exclusively; they fly well with the neck bent and the head close to the shoulders, and often ascend to a great height in the air and there perform, wonderful aerial evolutions ; they also swim well and strongly, but are said not to be able to dive. They pursue their prey in considerable numbers in a 30 Birds of Colorado long line, driving the fishes before them into the shallow water and catching them when floundering. They fill the elastic pouches beneath their long bills with great quantities of fishes, which they devour at leisure or carry off and disgorge to feed their young. They breed in great communities, generally on islands in lakes. The nest is on the ground, sometimes a simple depression in the sand, sometimes put together with a few sticks and weeds. The eggs, usually two, are oval, white and chalky, and measure 3°50 x 2°30. Brown Pelican. Pelecanus occidentalis. A.O.U. Checklist no 126—Colorado Record—Smith 10, p. 133. Description.—Adult—Top of the head and a spot on the upper-breast straw-yellow, 1 white line on eitner side of the breast; hind-head and neck brown, rest of the body silvery grey except the primaries, which are black; under-parts brown streaked with white. Length 50°0; wing 19°5; tarsus 2°65; bill 11°0. After the breeding season the bird’s head and neck are white tinged with straw-yellow; young birds are similar but duller. Distribution.—The Atlantic coasts of tropicaland subtropical America breeding north to South Carolina; accidental in other parts of the United States. ; According to H. G. Smith a single example of this species, now preserved in the State Museum at Denver, was killed on Wood’s Lake, Thomasville, Colorado, by Mr. P. J. Engelbrecht in June, 1908. This is the only record for the State. ORDER ANSERES. This order includes the Ducks, Geese and Swans, and forms a well-marked and clearly circumscribed group of birds. Externally they can be distinguished by their characteristically shaped bill, which is generally broad, flattened and depressed, and is covered by a soft membrane except at the tip of the upper mandible, where there is a hard nail; furthermore both mandibles have, just inside their cutting-edges, a series of horny The Mergansers 31 lamellz of varying development; the number of tail- feathers varies from fourteen to twenty-four; the legs are short and the anterior toes fully webbed ; the hind toe is small and jointed above the level of the others ; the eggs are numerous, white, pale greenish or creamy, and unspotted ; the young are covered with down when hatched, and able to run or swim at once. All the North American genera are included in a single family—Anatide. This, for convenience, can be divided into five subfamilies, as follows :— Key or THE SUBFAMILIES. A. Tarsus as long as the middle toe without claw ; with reticulate scales all round. a. Neck very long, as long as the body ; lores naked in the adults. Cygnine, p. 71. b. Neck moderate, no naked patch on, the lores. Anserine, p. 65. B. Tarsus shorter than the middle toe without claw, scutellate in front. a. Hind toe not lobed. Anatine, p. 35. b. Hind toe lobed. a' Bill flattened and depressed. Fuliguline, p. 49. b! Bill cylindrical and compressed. Mergine, p. 31. Subfamily MERGINA. The Mergansers have a narrow, almost cylindrical, bill, with the lamelle only present in the upper man- dible and developed into prominent tooth-like serrations ; tarsi compressed, scutellate anteriorly ; hind toe lobate ; head usually crested; sexes unlike. Kry or THE GENERA AND SPECIES. A. Bill chiefly red, about as long as the head ; crest low and only in, the occipital region (Mergus). a. Nostrils near the middle of the bill, breast all white in 3 M. americanus, p. 32. b. Nostrils nearer the base of the bill; breast with w patch of reddish-brown in ¢ M. serrator, p. 33. B. Bill chiefly black, shorter than the head ; crest highly developed, erect and semicircular (Lophodytes). L. cucullatus, p. 34. 32 Birds of Colorado Genus MERGUS. Bill about as long as the head, chiefly red, serrations acute, recurved, claw-like; tarsus about two-thirds as long as middle toe; crest low and flimsy ; head green or brown. Two species in the United States. American Merganser. Mergus americanus. A.O.U. Checklist no 129—Colorado Records—Allen 72, p. 164; Drew 85, p. 18; Beckham 85, p. 144; Morrison 89, p. 148; Cooke 97, pp. 52, 194; 06, p. 19. Description.—__Male—Head with its slight short crest, and upper- neck glossy dark green ; upper-parts black, fading into ashy on the rump and tail; wings white except the primaries, outer secondaries and bases of the greater coverts, which are black; below, including the lower part of the neck all round, white marbled with dusky on the flanks ; iris carmine, bill red, culmen and hook darker, legs deep red. Length 26; wing 10°80; tail 4°75; culmen 2°10; tarsus 1°75. The female is smaller—wing about 10-0; head (with a crest slightly longer than in the male) and neck rufous-brown, throat white, upper- parts ashy; white on the wings restricted to a few of the inner secondaries and coverts; below white; iris yellowish, legs orange with dusky webs. Distribution. Breeding from south Alaska and Labrador south to the northern tier of the United States and further south along the mountain ranges to New Mexico and Pennsylvania; south to winter as far as the Gulf coasts and southern California. This bird in most common on migration in Colorado, chiefly in April, but at the same time a good many winter especially along the South Platte near Fort Morgan, and in the lakes near Denver; and »s certain number breed in summer in the mountains, though of this we have only two definite statements—Allen saw a pair near Montgomery at the head waters of the Platte, at about 11,500 feet in July, and Carter states that it nests at Breckenridge. The only other definite record is that of Beckham, who observes that it is common in April on the Arkansas at Pueblo. Warren informs me he has seen examples killed on Deckers Lake near Crested Butte, about 9,000 feet, in the fall Habits.—These Ducks are usually found in pairs or small family parties along rivers or on open lakes where there is plenty of fish. These they pursue and catch by diving, in which they are very expert. They are hardly edible in consequence of their fish diet. The Red-breasted Merganser 33 nest is generally placed in a hollow tree, sometimes on the ground; it is constructed of moss and leaves and lined with down, plucked from the parents’ breast ; the eggs, usually ten, though as many as fourteen have been found, are oval and pale buffy to white in colour ; they measure 2°65 x 1°78. Red-breasted Merganser. Mergus serrator. A.O.U. Checklist no 129—Colorado Records—Ridgway 79, p. 234; Thorne 87, p. 264; Morrison 89, p. 148; Cooke 94, p. 183; 97, pp. 53, 194; Henderson 03, p. 234; 09, p. 225; Cary 09, p. 180. Description.—Male—Head (with a long thin occipital crest) and upper- neck all round, black glossed with green; back black, becoming greyish on the rump and tail; wings chiefly white on the surface but the prim- aries black; below including the lower-neck all round, except for a dorsal dark line, white ; a patch of reddish-brown streaked with dusky on, the breast ; iris, bill and feet red. Length 24:0; wing 9:0; tail 4:0 ; culmen 2-20; tarsus 1°6. The female and young have the crown greyish-brown, becoming more rufous on the sides and neck ; rest of the upper-parts slaty, the white wing-patch much restricted ; below white; wing about 8°5. Both sexes can be easily distinguished from M. americanus by the position of the nostril, which is nearer the base of the bill instead of about the middle of its length. Distribution.—The northern parts of both hemispheres ; in America breeding from, Alaska and Greenland south to Minnesota and New Brunswick ; in winter south of these limits to California, the Gulf and Cuba. The Red-breasted Merganser is a somewhat rare bird in Colorado, but it occasionally winters at Barr, near Denver, and along the Platte River ; it is more common. on migration and has been, recorded from Fort Collins and Middle Park (Cooke), Boulder co. (Henderson) and Fort Lyon by Thorne, probably all on migration. Cary reports he saw amounted specimen at La Veta which had been shot on a reservoir near by. Hersey informs me he has seen this species with “ flappers’ in July, on the Fraser Creek in Middle Park at about 7,500 feet, and he believes that it breeds there. Habits——The Red-breasted does not differ very much from the American Merganser, except that the nest appears to be generally placed on the ground though sheltered D 34 Birds of Colorado and concealed by a log or in a rocky crevice. The eggs are drab with a tinge of olive. Genus LOPHODYTES. Bill shorter than the head, chiefly black ; bill-serrations low, oblique, not hooked ; tarsus about half as long as the middle toe; crest very highly developed, erect, compressed, and semicircular. One species only. Hooded Merganser. Lophodytes cucullatus. A.O.U. Checklist no 131—Colorado Records—Beckham 85, p. 144; Morrison 89, p. 148; Cooke 97, pp. 53, 194; 06 p. 21; Henderson 03, p. 234; 09, p. 225. Description. Male—Head, neck and upper-parts black, becoming browner on the lower back ; a large compressed, semicircular, erectile crest with the central portion white ; below, from the fore-neck white ; sides finely waved with dusky and cinnamon; wing with a white speculum and two black bars; iris yellow, bill black, feet dusky. Length 18; wing 7°75; tail 4-0; culmen 1°60; tarsus 1°20. The female is smaller—wing 7:°25—and has a smaller crest; it is greyish-brown above, browner on the crown; the under-parts whitish with the sides dusky brown, not undulated ; wing with less white, the speculum crossed by only one bar. Young birds are like the female, but the crest is absent or much smaller. Distribution.—Throughout the greater part of North America from British Columbia and Hudson Bay to Mexico and Cuba; breeding locally throughout most of its range, in the United States and northwards. In Colorado the Hooded Merganser is said to be not uncommon though it has received but little notice. Cooke states that a few birds winter, a few breed in the mountains, and rather more pass through on migration. There is no definite statement of its nesting in the State, though Thorne found it at Fort Lyon on June 20th and July 2nd, and Carter near Canon City on June Ist. The only other definite records are—Barr Lake, not uncommon in winter (Hersey & Rockwell), Pueblo (Beckham) and Boulder co. (Henderson). Habits.—This Merganser is seldom seen on sea-water, and prefers swamps and quiet lakes to running water ; it feeds on roots and weeds as well as on fishes and aquatic insects. Hooded Merganser . 35 It nests in holes in trees and stumps near the banks of lakes, and lines its nest with grasses, feathers and down. When the young birds are hatched they are carefully transported to a secluded pool by the mother, who carries them in her bill by the neck or wing. The eggs, 6 to 10 or even more, are white or buffy and measure 2°05 x 1°70. Subfamily ANATINA, The river Ducks have a broad flattened bill with fine comb-like lamella in both mandibles; the tarsi are scutellate, and shorter than the middle toe without claw ; the hallux is without a lobe, and the sexes are generally unlike. Key oF THE GENERA AND SPECIES. A, Bill distinctly spatulate, broad at the end, narrow at the base ks (Spatula). S. clypeata, p. 46. B. Bill more or less parallel-sided, not spoon-shaped. a, Tail graduated for more than one-third of its total length, tail-feathers sharp-pointed. al Fourteen tail-feathers; speculum green and black (Mareca). M. americana, p. 40. b! Sixteen tail-feathers. a? Bill longer than the middle toe without claw; tail very long and produced in, adult male (Dafila). D. acuta, p. 47. b? Bill shorter than the middle toe without claw ; speculum white (Chaulelasmus). C. streperus, p. 38: b. Tail graduated less than one-third of its total length; tail feathers sharp-pointed. Larger, wing over 8 (Anas). Head and neck glossy green. A. platyrhynchos, p. 36. 3 in winter. al a? b? Head streaked with fuscous and buffy. a? Below mottled, dusky and grey. A. platyrhynchos, p. 36. 3 in eclipse and ? b? Below mottled, dusky and brown. A. f. maculosa, p. 38. bt Smaller, wing under 8. a? No blue on wing; speculum green (Nettion). N. carolinensis, p. 41. Dp 2 36 Birds of Colorado b? Wing-coverts sky blue (Querquedula). a’ A white patch on the sides of the face. Q. discors, g p. 43, b* No white on head. a> Below clear cinnamon. Q. cyanoptera, d p. 44. b® Below dusky and dark buff. Q. cyanoptera, 2 p. 44. ec Below dusky and grey. Q. discors, 2 p. 43. c. Tail-feathers wide and rounded ; head distinctly crested (Aiz). A. sponsa, p. 48 Genus ANAS. Bill about as long as the head or longer, exceeding the tarsus, broad and with the sides more or less parallel, nail narrow, less than one-third as wide as the end of the bill; nostrils high up in the basal half of the bill; tail rounded, less than half the wing, of 16 to 18 pointed feathers; speculum violet, framed in black and white. Three species in the United States. Mallard. Anas platyrhynchos. A.O.U. Checklist no 132—Colorado Records—Henshaw 75, p. 472 (Anas boschas); Drew 81, p. 142; 85, p. 18; Allen & Brewster 83, p. 198; Beckham 85, p. 144; Morrison 88, p. 140; 89, p. 148; Kellogg 90, p. 90; McGregor 97, p. 38; Cooke 97, pp. 53, 194; 06 p. 22; Dille 03, p. 74; Henderson 03, p. 234; 09, p. 225; Rockwell 08, p. 157; Warren 09, p. 13; 10, p. 29. Description.—_Male in breeding dress—Whole head and upper-neck glossy green, followed by a white ring; back dark greyish-brown becoming black on the rump; the longer upper tail-coverts recurved ; tail-feathers mostly whitish ; breast rich chestnut, belly greyish-white finely mottled with dusky ; under tail-coverts black ; speculum rich purple bordered in front and behind by narrow bands of black and white ; iris brown, bill greenish-yellow, feet orange-red. Length 230; wing 11:0; tail 4; culmen 2°25; tarsus 1°75. After the breeding season, in early summer, the male moults into a plumage closely resembling the female, and after the body-moult is complete, loses its quills and is unable to fly. The second or breeding plumage is again assumed in the fall. The female has the top of the head streaked with fuscous and buffy, the rest of the plumage mottled, scolloped and streaked with dusky and grey, more greyish below ; the chin is plain buffy, and the under- surface of the wing white; speculum as in the breeding male; bill dusky, blotched with orange ; dimensions smaller than the male—wing about 10°50. Mallard 37 Distribution.—The greater part of the northern hemisphere of the Old and New Worlds ; in America breeding north and west of a line drawn from Lower California to about western Pennsylvania and thence north to Hudson Bay, and wintering over the greater part of the United States, especially in the lower Mississippi Valley and Mexico as far as Mexico City. The Mallard is the most abundant Duck in Colorado; it is not un- common, in winter; it breeds throughout most of the State from the plains to about 9,000 feet, and it is still more abundant on migration, especially in the fall. It is a common summer resident as well as a winter bird at Barr near Denver, it breeds in South and Middle Parks (Carter) and in Estes Park (Kellogg) and in Mesa co., along the Grand River, in Plateau Valley from about 6,000 feet to 9,000 feet on Beaver Creek at its head (Reckwell). It is an early migrant; the spring flight takes place from about March 5th to 25th, and the return from October 15th to the end of the month ; it has been observed on migration throughout the whole State. Habits.—This, the Wild Duck par excellence, is far the commonest of all the Ducks, not only in most of North America, but also in the Old World. It is un- doubtedly the original progenitor of our domestic Ducks, and will often cross with them; though monogamous in a wild state, it soon becomes polygamous when domesticated. It is essentially a fresh-water Duck, seeking its food in swamps and marshes rather than in large bodies of open water, and feeding on snails, frogs and aquatic insects, but chiefly on grain and vegetable matter. It is therefore, as a rule, well flavoured and sought after for the table. The nest is placed on the ground in the grass near the edges of ponds or marshes, and is made of grass, leaves and weeds, loosely put together and lined with feathers or down. The eggs, 6 to 10 in number, are buffy or whitish, usually with a green tinge. They measure 2°30 x 1:60. Dille gives the second week in May as the average time for fresh eggs near Denver. 38 Birds of Colorado Mottled Duck. Anas fulvigula maculosa. A.O.U. Checklist no 134a—Colorado Records—Ridgway 73, pp. 177, 188 (Anas obscura) ; Morrison 89, p. 148; Cooke 97, pp. 53, 156, 194; Felger 09, p. 280; 10, p. 451. Description.—Resembling « dark-coloured female Mallard; head and neck buffy, finely streaked with dusky ; chin and throat isabella- colour unmarked; under-parts mottled about equally with dusky and light brown; feathers of the breast and back with brown centres and margins ; speculum greenish purple framed in black, the feathers narrowly tipped with white ; iris dark brown, bill greenish with a black spot at the base of the lower edge of the upper mandible ; legs reddish- orange. Wing 10-0; tarsus 1:75; culmen 2:25. The sexes are alike, except that the female has no black spot on the mandible, Distribution Breeding in Texas and probably north to Kansas and Colorado. A Duck identified formerly as the Dusky or Black Duck of the Atlantic coast, has been recorded on several occasions from Colorado. It was first noticed by Ridgway on the authority of Aiken. Thorne took it at Fort Lyon (Morrison) and Osburn on the Big Thompson near Loveland, March 15th, 1889. Cooke in his second supplement (p.194) considered that these Ducks should be referred to the present subspecies. In the Natural History Museum at Denver there is a Duck taken November 6th, 1907, near Loveland, by Mr. Blaney; it is mounted, and the bill has been coloured so that it is impossible to make out the spot on the mandible, but the throat is clearly plain and unstreaked, and I have little doubt that it should be referred to this subspecies, which may therefore be considered a straggler to Colorado. Felger (09) gives several additional records from the neighbourhood of Denver, and in a recently published note (10) considers that Cooke is in error, and that these Colorado Ducks should be referred to A. rubripes. I have myself carefully examined the example mounted in Denver, and am inclined to support Cooke in his determination. Genus CHAULELASMUS. Closely resembling Anas, with a tail of sixteen feathers, but wing speculum white, and in the male the greater coverts black, the middle coverts chestnut. One nearly cosmopolitan species. Gadwall. Chaulelasmus streperus. A.O.U. Checklist no 135—Colorado Records—Allen 72, p. 159; Aiken 72, p. 210; Henshaw 75, p. 474; Drew 81, p. 142; 85, p. 18; Gadwall 39 Tresz 82, p. 245; Beckham 85, p. 144; W. G. Smith 87, p. 169; Morrison 88, p. 140; 89, p. 148; Kellogg 90, p. 86; Cooke 97, pp. 18, 53, 156, 194; 06, p. 27; Henderson 03, p. 234; 09, p. 225; Rockwell 08, p. 157; Warren 09, p. 13. Description.—Male—General colour including the head, which bears a@ low crest, neck, upper-back, scapulars and sides brown, speckled and undulated with greyish-white ; lower back plain brown, becoming black on the rump and upper tail-coverts; belly white with sharply defined velvety black on the abdomen and lower tail-coverts; wing with a patch of chestnut, velvety black, and white ; iris reddish-brown, bill black, legs dull orange. Length 20-0; wing 11-0; tail 3-5; culmen 1-75; tarsus 1-7. The female is smaller—wing 10:0, and brown throvghout except on the lower breast and abdomen, which are white and everywhere speckled or variegated with buffy-brown; the patches of chestnut, black and white on the wing are rather smaller. The young male is like the female. Distribution.— One of the most widely spread of Ducks, found through- out Europe, Asia and North America, and wintering south in Africa and southern Asia. In America its breeding range extends from Hudson, Bay and southern British Columbia, south to southern Colorado and most of California. In winter it resorts chiefly to the southern states and the lower Mississippi Valley, and to Mexico as far as Mexico City. In Colorado the Gadwall is a fairly common summer resident and quite common on, migration, but has been, noticed only, so far as I can ascertain, at Barr in, winter. It arrives from the south early and has been noted at Fort Lyon on March Ist and at Loveland from March Ist to 12th ; it is not so common apparently on the western slope and was only once seen by Sullivan—on the Gunnison River, March 28th (Rockwell), while at Coventry it has been seen in April (Warren). Breeding records are—Bazrr Lake (Hersey & Rockwell), Estes Park (Kellogg), Middle Park, Carter (Cooke), South Park (Tresz), San Luis Lakes (Aiken & Henshaw), La Plata co. (Morrison), and Calhan El Paso co. June (Aiken). Habits.—The Gadwall resembles the Mallard in habits ; it is essentially a fresh-water Duck, preferring secluded marshy ponds and reedy streams to large open pieces of water. It feeds largely on vegetable matter, water- weeds, grass, roots and often grain, as well as on insects, tadpoles, etc., and it is as well- flavoured as the Mallard. 40 Birds of Colorado The nesting-habits are similar to those of the Mallard, though they have been known to breed in trees. The eggs, 8 to12 in number, are creamy-white and average 2°20 x 1°50. Natural hybrids among Ducks are not uncommon ; W. G. Smith (87) shot, near Loveland, a fine male, the characters of which were equally divided between a Gadwall and a Baldpate. Genus MARECA. Resembling Anas but with a shorter bill, not as long as the head ; tail pointed, of fourteen feathers, not as long as the wing; speculum green, top of the head white or whitish. Two species in the United States. Baldpate. Mareca americana. A.O.U. Checklist no 137—Colorado Records—Aiken 72, p. 210; Coues 77, p. 51; Morrison 89, p. 148; Cooke 97, pp. 18, 54, 194; 06, p. 28; Henderson 03, p. 234; 09, p. 225; Rockwell 08, p. 157; 10, p. 29; Felger 09, p. 280. Discription.—Male—Crown pure white, sides of the face, cheeks and neck also white or buffy, spotted with dusky ; chin brown ; a patch from the eye to the nape glossy green ; fore-neck, chest and sides of the body cinnamon, some of the feathers finely barred with dusky ; lower-breast and abdomen white, abruptly black on the lower tail- coverts ; rest of the upper-parts various shades of brown, some of the feathers, especially the scapulars, finely barred with buffy ; speculum green, bordered by black with a white patch above it; iris brown, bill greyish-blue with a black tip, feet very similar. Length 20-0; wing 10-5; tail 4:75; culmen 1-50; tarsus 1-40. Younger males have the whole head and neck white or buffy and speckled with dusky. Females have the head like the young male; the colour generally is brown mottled with dusky and the belly white ; on the wing the pattern is the same as in the male, but the white is much restricted and the green of the speculum often faint. Distribution. Breeding in north-central North America, within a line drawn from Hudson Bay to Lake Michigan, thence west to Nevada and north-west to the Pacific; south in winter over the southern, states and Mexico as far as Costa Rica and the West Indies. In Colorado the Baldpate like the Gadwall is most common on migration, while a certain number remain to breed, and others appear to winter. Green-winged Teal 4] The only definite account of its nesting is that of Coues, who found it with young birds and several other species of Duck on a small lake on the southern edge of North Park, probably about 8,000 feet, shortly after the nesting-season ; there is an adult male in the Aiken collection taken at Falcon, on May 3rd, and Hersey and Rockwell include it as @& summer resident at Barr. It was seen on the San Luis Lakes in June by Warren. On migration it was noticed by W. G. Smith at Loveland, March 10th to 13th, and seen by Carter in Middle Park (Cooke), while Sullivan reports it as plentiful in the fall but scarce in the spring at Grand Junction (Rockwell). Felger states that it is not uncommon in winter at Barr. Habits.—Like the Mallard and Gadwall this is a shoal- water Duck, preferring the edges of lagoons and grassy lakes to large pieces of water, and feeding chiefly on vegetable matter, so that it is generally good eating. Goss states that they rob Canvas-back and other deep-water Ducks of the vallesneria grass which grows in deep water, and which they cannot procure for them- selves as they do not dive. The eggs, 6 to 12 in number, are pale buff to nearly white, and measure 2°05 x 1°45. Genus NETTION. Very small ducks—wing under 8—with a slightly crested head and a narrow parallel-sided blackish bill, w green speculum and grey, buffy-tipped wing-coverts without blue. Two species in the United States. Green-winged Teal. Neftion carolinensis. A.O.U. Checklist no 139—Colorado Records—Aiken 72, p. 210; Henshaw 75, p. 475; Beckham 85, p. 144; Drew 85, p. 18; Morrison 89, p. 148; Kellogg 90, p. 90; Cooke 97, pp. 18, 54, 194; 06 p. 30; Henderson 03, p. 234; 09, p. 225; Rockwell 08, p. 157; Warren 09, p. 13. Description Adult Male—Head and neck all round chestnut, blackening on the chin ; a patch from round the eye to the nape glossy green, ending in a nape crest of chestnut and black; general colour above and along the sides, grey brown and white in narrow undu- lations; breast pale cinnamon, with rounded black spots, paling to nearly pure unspotted white on the abdomen; under tail-coverts 42 Birds of Colorado black centrally, pale buffy laterally ; speculum bright green, bordered in front by buffy, below by black and behind with a little white; a white patch on the sides of the breast; iris brown, bill black, feet dusky. Length 14:0; wing 7:5; tail 2-75; culmen 1-5; tarsus 1-20. The female has no crest and the speculum is less perfect ; the head and neck are streaked with dark and tawny-brown, the throat and lower-parts are white and the back, sides and breast dusky, scolloped and mottled with buff. Distribution.—Breeding from New Brunswick along the northern tier of states to Oregon, northwards to the Barren Grounds of Alaska, and south along the mountains to New Mexico ; in winter south to the south-western United States, Mexico to Mexico City and the West Indies. The Green-winged Teal is one of the commonest of the migrating Ducks in Colorado, and is also a resident. It is one of the earliest to arrive, reaching Fort Lyon February 20th to March 8rd, Loveland February 2Ist, and Salida March 27th (Frey). It is common on the Arkansas near Pueblo in April and September (Beckham), and has been observed as high as Breckenridge on migration by Carter, and at Crested Butte by Warren. On the western slope it is the commonest Duck at Coventry on migration only (Warren) and also in Mesa co. (Rockwell). It has been found nesting at San Luis Lakes by Henshaw and is stated to be a common summer resident in Estes Park by Kellogg, and at Barr by Hersey and Rockwell, where it is also not uncommon in winter. Habits.—‘‘ This handsome little duck,’’ writes Goss, “is usually found in small flocks along the edges of shallow, grassy waters, feeding largely on seeds, aquatic plants and insects; they fatten very fast in the rice- fields, and are very fond of acorns. In exposed situations they feed largely at night, resting by day on bare spots surrounded and hidden by reeds. They are perhaps the best-tasting of our ducks.” Henshaw found this species nesting at San Luis Lakes, on June 24th; the nest was placed under a sage bush thirty feet from the water ; it consisted of a hollow in the sand, lined with grasses, and down plucked from the parent-birds’ breast. The eggs were pale yellow and measured 1:80 x 1:30. The usual complement is 9 to 12, but as many as eighteen have been found. Blue-winged Teal 43 Genus QUERQUEDULA. Size very small—wing less than 8; no sign of a crest; bill broader than in Neition; speculum glossy green, wing-coverts sky blue. Two species in the United States. Blue-winged Teal. Querquedula discors. A.O.U. Checklist no 140—Colorado Records—Baird 58, p. 780; Henshaw 75, p. 477; Drew 81, p. 142; 85, p. 18; Beckham 85, p. 144; W. G. Smith 87, p. 169; Morrison 88, p. 140; 89, p. 149; Cooke 97, pp. 18, 54, 194; 06, p. 32; Henderson 03, p. 234; 09, p. 225; Warren 06, p. 19; 09, p. 13; Rockwell 08, p. 157; Felger 09, p. 280. Description. _Male—Crown, base of the bill and chin, dark brown; a crescent-shaped white mark across the face in front of the eye; rest of the head and neck ashy-grey with a mauve gloss ; upper-parts dusky brown, scalloped and streaked with buffy-brown; below vinaceous, heavily spotted throughout with black; under tail-coverts black ; a white spot on either side at the base of the tail; wing with a green metallic speculum, bordered in front by white ; the whole basal portion of the wing light blue ; iris brown, bill black, legs dingy yellow. Length 16; wing 7:0; tail 3-0; culmen 1:5; tarsus 1-20. The female is mainly speckled above, and grey, mottled with dusky, below, but has the characteristic blue, white and green on the wings. The young bird has the abdomen white, and green on the wing absent. Distribution.—The breeding range of this duck is mainly north of a line drawn from Nova Scotia to New Mexico and thence to Oregon and northwards to Saskatchewan, while on migration and in winter it covers a vast extent of country from Virginia and California to Brazil and Chili. In Colorado the Blue-wing is quite common on migration throughout the state in spring and autumn. Hersey and Rockwell state that it is far the most common breeding Duck at Barr, arriving late and leaving early. Henshaw writes that he found it equally abundant with the Green-wing at San Luis Lakes and believed that it bred there ; Aiken who visited San Luis Lakes the following year, confirms this. It was taken by Lieut. Bryan on the South Platte in July many years ago (Baird), and Cowie informed Henderson that it breeds on the plains of Boulder co. Mr. Aiken tells me he found a nest, but without eggs, on June 4th, on the Big Sandy Creek near Ramah, about forty miles east of Colorado Springs on the plains, and there is a specimen in, the Aiken collection taken on May 3rd at Falcon in El Paso co, which might have been breeding or preparing to breed. All other observers only seem to have noticed this duck on migration. It arrives from the south rather late. Smith notes it at Loveland from March 25th 44 Birds of Colorado to April 13th, and Frey at Salida, March 27th. It returns early in the fall Goss states that it is very susceptible to cold. It has been noticed on the Arkansas near Pueblo in May and September (Beckham), near Monon, May 6th (Warren 06), and in Boulder co. (Henderson) ; in the mountains at Crested Butte (Warren), and at Breckenridge (Carter) on migration ; on the western slopes in La Plata co. in spring (Morrison), in San Juan in the fall (Drew), at Coventry on migration (Warren 09), and in Mesa co., spring and fall (Rockwell). Habits.—The Blue-wing inhabits sloughs, shallow pools and reedy margins of ponds. It feeds chiefly on vegetable matter, roots, weeds and seeds; it is specially fond of Tice, and its flesh is greatly esteemed. It is generally silent and flies in small, rather densely massed flocks, it also crowds together when it alights to feed, so forming an easy mark for the pot-hunter. The nest is placed on the ground among rushes bordering a pool or marsh, and is made up of grasses and lined with down. The eggs, 6 to 12 in number, are buffy to creamy-white, and measure 1°85 x 1:30. Felger has taken fresh eggs at Barr on June 26th. Cinnamon Teal. Querquedula cyanoptera. A.O.U. Checklist no 141—Colorado Records—Aiken 72, p. 210; Henshaw 75, p. 477; Coues 77, p. 51; Allen & Brewster 81, p. 198; Tresz 82, p. 245; Beckham 85, p. 144; Drew 85, p. 18; W. G. Smith 89, p. 77; Morrison 89, p. 148; Cooke 97, pp. 18, 54, 194; 06 p. 34; Henderson 03, p. 234; 09, p. 225; Rockwell 08, p. 158; Warren 09, p. 13. Description.—Male—Head, neck, breast and sides, rufous-brown, darkening on the crown and chin and middle of the abdomen; under tail-coverts dark brown; back brown, varied with rufous bars and edges ; wings like the Blue-wing, blue at base, then white, then a green speculum ; iris orange, bill black, feet orange, dusky on the joints and webs. Length 16-50; wing 7°75; tail 3-50; culmen 1-70; tarsus 1-25. The female is like the female Blue-wing, but is darker and more spotted on the breast and neck, only the upper-throat and chin being unspotted. A young male is like the female, but the markings below are more longitudinal and streak-like. Distribution—The Cinnamon is remarkable in having two distinct breeding ranges, north and south of the equator in America. The Cinnamon Teal 45 northern area extends from British Columbia to western Kansas and south to northern Mexico, the southern area from central Peru to the Straits of Magellan and the Falkland Islands. The winter range of the northern birds extends but little further south to southern Mexico, that of the southern birds north, perhaps to Columbia. In Colorado the Cinnamon Teal is a fairly common summer resident from the plains to quite high in the mountains. A considerable number also pass through the State to their breeding-grounds further north. They arrive rather late for Ducks, about the middle of April—Colorado Springs April 9th, Loveland April 13th, Lay April 20th (Cooke), and return late in September. They have been noticed breeding on the southern divide of North Park (Coues), at San Luis Lakes (Henshaw), in the mountains of La Plata co. (Morrison), on, the mountain lakes near Coventry (Warren), and in the plains near Loveland (W. G. Smith), and at Barr, where it is common but less so than the Blue-wing (Hersey & Rockwell). Habits.—The haunts and habits of the Cinnamon are very similar to those of the Blue-wing. W. G. Smith gives a good account of the nesting-habits ; according to him a dry spot is usually chosen about a hundred yards from the water, shaded by a bunch of grass ; here a deep hole is made, lined with grass, and down from the breast. The eggs, nine or ten in number, are creamy-white and measure 2°0 x 1:35. The female, while laying, covers over the eggs with down, on leaving the nest, so that it is very difficult to locate them. A clutch of eleven eggs of this species was taken by I. C. Hall on June 1st, near Greeley, and presented to the Colorado College Museum. In this case the nest is stated to have been placed in a slough in over six inches of water and to have been made of rushes. Genus SPATULA. Resembling Anas in most respects but with a large spoon-shaped bill exceeding the head or tarsus in length, and much wider towards the tip than at the base ; bill lamingz numerous and projecting ; tail short and pointed of fourteen feathers. One species only in the United States. 46 Birds of Colorado Shoveller. Spatula clypeata. A.O.U. Checklist no 142—Colorado Records—Aiken 72, p. 210; Henshaw 75, p. 478; Coues 77, p. 51; Allen & Brewster 83, p. 198; Morrison 89, p. 148; Cooke 97, pp. 18, 54,194; 06, p. 36 ; Henderson 03, p. 234; 09, p. 225; Warren 06, p. 19; 09, p. 13; Rockwell 08, p. 158. Description.—Male—Head and neck black, slightly glossed with green on the sides of the face and bearing a slight nape crest ; lower- neck, breast, some of the scapulars and the outer tail-feathers white ; lower breast and abdomen rufous; under tail-coverts black; wing with the lesser coverts light blue and the speculum green with a white bar above; the scapulars white, light blue and black ; iris orange, bill black, legs orange. Length 20; wing 10; tail 35; culmen 2-7; tarsus 1°7. The female is spotted and streaked with dusky, but has the wing as ip the male though duller. Young birds are like the female. The shape of the bill will always distinguish this species in any plumage. Distribution.—The northern hemisphere, south to north Africa, southern Asia and Australia. In America breeding from Alaska and Hudson Bay south to California and Texas, but not in eastern Canada or the eastern United States ; south in winter from the Carolinas and the Gulf states to Columbia and through the West Indies. In Colorado the Shoveller is mainly 4 migrant though a certain number stay to breed, chiefly in the mountains. Cooke states it is @ common resident especially on the western slope, but I have found only a few notices of its breeding—near the south divide of the North Park (Coues), and at San Luis Lakes where Aiken and Henshaw both observed it. At Barr it nests, but less commonly than some of the other Ducks (Rockwell & Hersey). It reaches Loveland from the south March 10th to 20th, and has also been observed on migration in Baca co. (Warren), El Paso co. (Aiken), at Breckenridge (Carter), in Boulder co. (Henderson), and at Orchard (Warren). On the western slope it is rare at Coventry in April (Warren), and not often seen in the Plateau Valley of Mesa co. on migration (Rockwell). Habits.—The favourite resort of the Shoveller is a weedy, shallow pool or marsh where it dabbles on the muddy bottom, with its broad bill and head immersed, in search of weeds, insects, snails and crustacea, which form its food. It is generally in pairs or quite small parties ; it is strong on the wing but has a feeble voice. Its nest is placed on the ground near water or some- Pintail 47 times on a hummock in a marsh; it is made of grass and down. The eggs, eight to ten or more, are greenish or buffy and measure 2°14 x 1:50. Genus DAFILA. Bill shorter than the head, exceeding the tarsus and also the middle toe and claw, nearly parallel-sided and with a small nail; neck rather long; tail of sixteen feathers, graduated for at least one-third of its total length; in the adult male when fully developed, nearly as long as the wing, the two central feathers produced and pointed. One species only in North America. Pintail. Dafila acuta. A.O.U. Checklist no 143—Colorado Records—Aiken 72, p. 210; Morrison 89, p. 164; Cooke 97, pp. 18, 55, 194; 06, p. 37; Henderson 02, p. 234; 09, p. 25; Rockwell 08, p. 155; Warren 09, p. 13; 10, p. 29. Description Male—Head and upper part of the neck and a line along the nape forming a crest, brown ; back and a patch on the flanks brown, finely undulated with white; central tail-feathers elongated, pointed and black ; below, including the fore-neck and uw narrow line on, either side of the nape crest, white; belly a little speckled with dusky ; under tail-coverts black ; wing chiefly grey brown with a green speculum narrowly bordered above by chestnut and below by white, and on the sides by black ; iris brown, bill black, a little greyish on the edge, legs greyish-blue. Length about 26; wing 11-0; tail 8-0 ; culmen 2-2; tarsus 1-60. The female is brown above, speckled on the head, mottled on the back with buffy and white; below paler, almost white on the breast ; sides like the back ; wing with a faint speculum of greenish between two narrow bars of white ; tail about 4:5, shorter than that of the male ; wing 9°75. Young birds resemble the females. Distribution.—The Pintail is another widely-spread Duck with a circumpolar range; it breeds in the northern parts of the Old and New Worlds. In America the breeding range is north of a line running roughly from Lake Michigan to the Pacific, and west from Lake Michigan to Hudson Bay. They winter to the south as far as Panama and the West Indies. In Colorado the Pintail is a common migrant. It is one of the earliest birds in spring, and has been, noticed at Loveland the first week in February and at Grand Junction on February 27th (Rockwell). Except for the Blue-winged Teal, Hersey and Rockwell found it the most abundant nesting Duck at Barr, while a few birds stay there all the winter. Warren saw a female with four one-third grown young near 48 Birds of Colorado Medano Ranch on July 2nd, so that it probably breeds in the San Luis Valley. On migration it has been noticed by Carter in Middle Park and by Smith at Coventry (Warren), while there are examples in the Colorado College Museum from El Paso co. and from Barr Lake, near Denver, both obtained in March. Habits.—This is a typical fresh-water Duck, haunting wet prairies, mud flats and small pools in preference to large sheets of open water, and obtaining a good deal of its food by dibbling on the bottom with its head down and its tail and legs sticking up in the air; it seldom, if ever, dives. The eggs, of a buffy or greenish colour, are 7 to 10 in number as a rule, and are laid in a nest made of grasses and lined with down, placed on the ground, usually under the shelter of a bush. They nest early—early May in south Dakota. I have no dates for Colorado. Genus AIX. Head crested ; bill shorter than the head, hardly equal to the tarsus, narrow and more or less parallel-sided, with a large terminal and downwardly curved nail, lamelie few, small and not conspicuous, tail of sixteen feathers broad and rounded at the tips. One North American species. Wood-Duck. Aix sponsa. A.O.U. Checklist no 144—Colorado Records—Aiken 72, p. 210; Morrison 89, p. 165 ; H. G. Smith 95, p. 48 ; Cooke 97, pp. 55, 156, 194; 06, p. 40; Henderson 03, p. 234; 07, p. 198; 09, p. 226. Description.—Male—Head and crest brilliant purple and green with white stripes; throat white ; chest rich chestnut with rows of white triangles ; sides grey with black and white bars and crescents ; shoulders crossed by black and white bars; rest of the upper-parts black, with rich irridescent colours ; iris red, bill pinkish-white, darker at the base, culmen, tip and lower mandible black, feet orange. Length 19:5 wing 9-25; tail 4°75 ; culmen 1°35 ; tarsus 1:45. The female has the head dull grey glossed with green; the crest, crown, sides of the head and the throat white; the chest brown and the belly white ; the back richly glossed with greyish-brown, ; wing 8°60 ; iris brown, bill plumbeous, black on the culmen, legs yellowish. Wood-Duck 49 Distribution,—Breeding throughout temperate North America from Nova Scotia and southern British Columbia, to Cuba, Florida, south Texas and southern California; wintering in the southern portion of its breeding range. In Colorado the Wood-Duck is distinctly a rare bird, though probably @& summer resident when it does occur; but the nest has not yet been taken in the State. ; It is occasionally found on the lakes round Denver, and one taken at Littleton on the South Platte May Ist, 1892, is stated by Cooke to be in the collection of Mr. E. J. Oslar; Hersey reports he took a pair two miles west of Barr Lake in the fall of 1889. It has also been noticed by Aiken in El Paso co.; by Rowland, Cowie and Werley in Boulder co, (Henderson) and by W. G. Smith at Loveland (Cooke). Morrison states that it is common near Fort Lewis on the La Plata River, and occurs up to an, elevation of 9,500 feet; and though he believed it bred, he did not find the nest. Habits—The Wood- or Summer-Duck—the most brilliantly coloured of all the American species—is found about small lakes, weedy ponds and shady streams, in close proximity to scattered woods, and is only seen on large bodies of water during migration. It is not shy, and often comes to farms and associates with the barn-yard Ducks. Its flight is swift and graceful, and its food consists of insects, seeds and leaves ; it is specially fond of acorns. The nest is placed in a hollow tree, sometimes in the hole of a Woodpecker, sometimes in a natural cavity. It is often quite high up and far from water. The eggs, 6 to 14 in number, are ivory-white and measure 2°0 x 1°50. If the nest is very high up, the parents carry the young birds down to the water in their beaks. Subfamily FULIGULIN 4. The Sea-Ducks have the flattened bill of the River- Ducks, but are distinguished by the hind toe being lobate, ie. bearing a large membranous lobe; the legs are rather shorter and placed far back,so that though E 50 Birds of Colorado more awkward on land, they swim and dive with greater facility. The sexes are, as a rule, unlike. Key oF THE GENEBA. a. Tail more than half the wing, the feathers stiff and their bases hardly hidden by the short coverts. Erismatura, p. 64. b. Tail normal at Feathering on the lores or forehead not reaching beyond the posterior border of the nostrils. a* Graduation of the tail less than the length of the bill from the nostril. Marilla, p. 50. b? Graduation of the tail more than the length of the bill from the nostril. a? Anterior edge of the nostril in front of the middle of the culmen. Clangula, p. 56. b? Anterior edge of the nostril behind the middle of the culmen. at Upper mandible widest behind the nostril, and not elevated or swollen at the base. a5 Feathers ending in a straight line across the forehead. Harelda, p. 59. b® Feathers ending in an acute-pointed triangle on the forehead. a® Upper mandible constricted to a small nail-like tip. Charitonetta, p. 58. b® Upper mandible rounded at the tip. Histrionicus, p. 60. b* Upper mandible widest at anterior edge of nostril, and elevated or swollen at the base. Oidemia, p. 62. b! Feathering on the lores or forehead extending forward well beyond the posterior border of the nostril. Somateria, p. 61. Genus Marila Bill of ordinary shape without any special swellings or gibbosities, about as long as the head, rising high at the forehead ; nail distinct, about one-third the width of the end of the bill and decurved ; tail short and rounded, graduated less than the length of the bill from the nostrils, of 14 to 16 feathers ; tarsus less than two-fifths length of the middle toe and claw ; head not crested ; speculum white or grey. A large cosmopolitan genus with five North American species. Redhead 51 Key or THE SPECIES. A. Head and neck brown. a. Bill not longer than the head with a concave culmen. M. americana, p. 51, b. Bill longer than the head; culmen almost straight, not concave. M. vallisneria, p. 52, B. Head and neck black with a greenish or purplish gloss. a. Speculum white. al Larger, wing about 9-0; head with a greenish gloss. M. marila, p. 54, b? Smaller, wing about 8:0; head with a purplish gloss. M. affinis, p. 54, b. Speculum grey or silvery ; male with a chestnut collar. M. collaris, p. 55, Redhead. Marila americana. A.O.U. Checklist no 146—Colorado Records—Aiken 72, p. 210; Morrison 89, p. 165; Cooke 97, pp. 18, 55,195; 06, p. 41; Henderson 03, p. 234, 09, p. 226; Rockwell 08, p. 158; Felger 09, p. 281; Hersey & Rockwell 09, p. 112. Description.—Male—Head and neck all round rufous-chestnut, on the nape and neck with a coppery-red gloss; fore-neck, breast, fore- part of the back, rump, upper and under tail-coverts and tail black, becoming white on the middle of the abdomen ; rest of the back, wings and sides of the body silvery, finely undulated with dusky ; longer wing-feathers and speculum silvery, not undulated, iris orange, bill dull blue with the terminal fifth black, feet dull greyish-blue. Length 20-0; wing 9-25; tail 2°75; culmen 1-85; tarsus 1-50. The female is smaller—wing 8-°70—and has the head and neck dull reddish-brown becoming paler on the cheeks and chin, the upper-parts are brownish with the feathers paler-edged ; breast and sides greyish brown, margined with ochraceous, becoming white on the centre of the abdomen. The Redhead closely resembles the Canvas-back ; it can be distin- guished in any plumage by its short bill, less than the middle toe without claw, its concave culmen and high forehead, and its nostril well in the basal half of the bill. : Distribution.— Breeding along the northern United States and southern border of the Dominion, from Michigan to the Pacific, and in Utah, Nevada and California; wintering chiefly along the south Atlantic and Gulf Coasts and Mississippi Valley south to Mexico City. In Colorado the Redhead is a common migrant throughout the State, and one of the earliest to arrive in spring. Felger states that a few E2 52 Birds of Colorado also winter at Barr. It has been seen at Loveland from February 2nd to March 6th; on the western slope it reaches Grand Junction from February 27th to March 6th,and returns between September 28th and October 22nd, according to Sullivan (Rockwell). It has also been noted from, Fort Lyon (Cooke), El Paso co. (Aiken collection) and Boulder (Henderson), while Warren informs me he saw two in the fall of 1902, on Decker’s Lake, near Crested Butte, at about 9,000 feet. This is the only mountain record I have met with. Hersey and Rockwell report that this Duck nests in some numbers at Barr, though it is far more common on migration. A clutch of seven eggs, believed to be this species, was taken by I. C. Hall at Greeley on June 14th, 1903, and were presented by the collector to the Colorado College Museum. Habits.—The Redhead is usually found in considerable flocks on open water, often associating with Canvas- backs and other species ; it is a diving duck and obtains most of its food—aquatic grasses, mollusca, small crustacea and insects—in this way, though sometimes it dibbles as well in the shallows. It is, as a rule, very good-eating, rivalling to the taste of some the Canvas-back, for which it is often substituted. Its nest is placed on the ground near the water, or some- times among reeds over water like a Coot’s. Hall describes the nest he took at Greeley as being placed in a clump of rushes over open water, eight inches deep, and as being made of dry flags and lined with down. The eggs, in this case seven, but often ten in number, are dull white with a greenish tinge and average 2°40 x 1°70. Canvas-back. Marila vallisneria. A.O.U. Checklist no 147—Colorado Records—Aiken 72, p. 210; Morrison 89, p. 165; Cooke 97, pp. 18, 55, 195; 06, p. 43; Felger 02, p. 294 ; 05, p. 421; Henderson 03, p. 234 ; 09, p. 226 ; Rockwell 08, p. 158. Description.—Male—Resembling generally the Redhead but dis- tinguished by the colour of the head and neck which is darker and browner and by the blackish chin and crown ; the markings of the back are more silvery ; this colour prevails over the wavy, dusky lines which are much narrower and more broken up; finally the bill is longer Canvas-back 53 at least equal to the middle toe without claw ; it is straighter, and the forehead. does not rise up high behind it, while the nostrils. reach the middle of the bill; iris red, bill blackish throughout, feet greyish-blue. Length 22-0; wing 92:5; tail 27-5; culmen 2:4; tarsus 1-7. The female resembles the female Redhead, but can be distinguished by the back being barred with fine wavy white lines and by the longer and blackish bill. Distribution.—Breeding from Oregon and Minnesota northwards to Great Slave Lake and Alaska ; in winter eastwards to the Atlantic Coast from Delaware south through the southern and western states and Mexico to the City of Mexico. In Colorado the Canvas-back is somewhat less abundant than the Redhead, but it has been met with on migration over the greater part of the State, especially on the eastern side of the mountains. It arrives from the south early, only a little later than the Redhead. Loveland, February 10th to March 12th, are dates given by Cooke, and it has been noticed in El Paso co. (Aiken), at Orchard, March 26th (Warren), at Fort Lyon (Cooke), and in Boulder co. (Henderson) on the eastern plains; at Breckenridge (Carter), in the mountains and at Grand Junction, February 20th, by Sullivan (Rockwell). Felger reports that he found it nesting at Barr Lake on June 6th and July 4th, 1900, and this is confirmed by Hersey and Rockwell. Aiken saw a small flock of five on a lake near Limon, May 19th, 1899, which may have contemplated nesting, or were possible late migrants. Cooke believed that a few birds wintered on the plains of northern Colorado, and Felger confirms this. Habits—The great reputation of the Canvas-back is due to the fact that in its winter home on Chesapeake Bay it feeds almost entirely on the roots and bulbs of the so-called wild celery (Vallisneria) which grows very abundantly in that estuary; elsewhere it is no better than any other Duck ; in fact the flavour of all Ducks is entirely dependent on what they have been feeding on. The Canvas-back is generally found in large flocks on considerable sheets of water, and is a strong flyer and a wonderful diver ; when wounded it often escapes in this manner. Owing doubtless to constant persecution, it is exceedingly shy and wary. It resembles the Redhead in its nesting-habits, building very often in shallow water among thick rushes and 54 Birds of Colorado lining its often bulky nest with down. The eggs are said to be rather more greenish in shade than those of the Redhead, and to measure 2°50 x 1°75. Scaup Duck. Marila marila. A.O.U Checklist no 148—Colorado Records—Drew 81, p. 142; 85, p. 18; Morrison 88, p. 140; 89, p. 165; Cooke 97, pp. 55, 195; 06, p. 44; Henderson 03, pp. 107, 110; 09, p. 226; Warren 09, p. 13; Felger 09, p. 281. Description.—Closely resembling M. affints—the next species—but larger, the head glossed with green instead of purple, and the flanks nearly white with but faint traces of the wavy bars. The female can be distinguished from that of M. afinis by its larger size. Length 19-75; wing 9-0; tail 2-80; culmen 2-0; tarsus 1:55. Wing of female 8-50. Distribution.—The northern parts of the Old and New Worlds, south in winter ; in America breeding from Minnesota and south-east British Columbia north to Alaska; in winter chiefly on the Atlantic coast from Massachusetts to Delaware, in the Mississippi Valley, and west- wards to southern California. The Scaup is rather a rare duck in Colorado. It has been reported from Boulder eo. (Henderson) Barr (Hersey), Longmont (Felger), Breckenridge (Carter), Coventry in April (Warren), and La Plata in fall (Morrison) on migration, while Drew came across it in December in San Juan co., at 9,000 feet, so that perhaps it spends the winter in the southern part of the State. Lesser Scaup Duck. Marila affinis. A.O.U. Checklist no 149—Colorado Records—Aiken 72, p. 210; Drew 81, p. 142; 85, p. 18; Morrison 88 p. 140; 89, p. 165 ; Cooke 97, pp. 18, 56, 195; 06, p. 46; Henderson 03, p. 107; 09, p. 225. Description.—Male—Head, neck, front half of the breast, and back black ; the sides of the head glossed with purple ; lower-back, rump, upper and under tail-coverts, tail and primaries, dusky brown or blackish ; middle of the back, scapulars, and some of the upper coverts white with narrow wavy bars of dusky ; below white, slightly mottled with dusky on the lower abdomen and sides ; wing with a white patch on the secondaries forming a speculum ; iris yellow, bill dull bluish with nail black, legs slaty. Length 16-5; wing 8-0; tail 2-25; culmen 1-7; tarsus 1-2. The female is chiefly dark brown with a conspicuous white patch at the base of the bill, a white chin, speculum and abdomen. The male after the breeding season moults to a plumage like the female but darker. Ring-necked Duck 55 Distribution.—Breeding from Michigan and central British Columbia northwards to Alaska; wintering south of this to Panama and the West Indies, and specially on the Atlantic from Delaware to Florida. In Colorado the Lesser Scaup seems to be more abundant than the larger form ; it winters at Barr Lake and perhaps elsewhere on the north-eastern plains, while Drew met with it occasionally in winter in San Juan co. It is, however, most abundant and widespread as a transient on migration, arriving fairly early in spring—Loveland March 8—19th ; it is also reported from La Plata co. (Morrison), Fort Lyon (Thorne), Salida April 17th (Frey), El Paso co. (Aiken), Longmont October (Henderson), and Breckenridge (Carter). A mounted female in the Aiken collection, taken as late as May 3rd at Falcon, not far from Colorado Springs, was probably a late migrant. Habits.—This Duck, also frequently known as the Black-head or Blue-bill, takes its most usual name from the sand-banks called scaups or scalps, on which it feeds when on the sea coast in winter. In Colorado it is chiefly known as a transient, when it alights on lakes or reservoirs to rest during its northward and southward journeys. It is a great diver and feeds chiefly on mollusca which it procures in this way, though it is also fond of grain and wild rice. Ring-necked Duck. Marila collaris. A.O.U. Checklist no 150—Colorado Records—Aiken 72, p. 210; Morrison 89, p. 165; Cooke 97, pp. 56; 06, p. 48; Henderson 03, p. 224; 09, p. 226; Warren 09, p. 13; 10, p. 79; Felger 09, p. 281. Description.—Male—Head and neck all round, except the white chin, black glossed with purple; a ring of dark chestnut round the lower-neck ; fore-breast and upper-parts black, glossed with greenish and purplish; below white, finely mottled on the sides and lower abdomen with dusky ; under tail-coverts black ; wings with a silvery speculum ; iris yellow, bill black, with the base and a subterminal band bluish-grey, legs slaty. Length 17-75 ; wing 8-0; tail 2-5 ; culmen 1-9; tarsus 1-25. The female has the head and neck umber-brown with whitish cheeks and chin, a white eye-ring and no collar; rest of the plumage dusky brown, becoming white on the lower-breast and abdomen ; speculum grey as in the male. Distribution.—Breeding from Wisconsin and Manitoba to Athabasca Lake and west of the Rockies from Oregon to British Columbia ; in 56 Birds of Colorado winter south over most of the United States and Mexico to Cuba and Guatemala. This is one of the rarer ducks in Colorado and has only been reported a few times. It is probably only a migrant. There is an example in the Colorado Museum of Natural History at Denver, taken on a lake near Denver, November 10th, 1898, by B. Hayward. Genus CLANGULA. Bill shorter than the head, about as long as the tarsus, very high at the base, narrowed towards the tip; nostrils well in front of the middle of the bill; head puffy-looking and crested; tail about half the length of the wing, pointed and 16-feathered ; males with a green head with a white patch; females plain brown. Two species only. Key oF THE SPECIES. A. Head glossed with greenish ; cheek spot oval or rounded. C. c. americana, ¢ p. 56. B. Head glossed with purplish ; cheek-spot triangular. C. islandica, ¢ p. 57. C. Head brown. a. White wing-patch undivided. C.c. americana, 2 p. 56. b. White wing-patch divided. C, islandica, 2 p. 57. American Golden-eye. Clangula clangula americana. A.O.U. Checklist no 151—Colorado Records—Aiken 72, p. 210; Henshaw 75, p. 480; Scott 79, p. 96; Morrison 89, p. 165; Cooke 97, p. 56; 06, p. 49; Henderson 03, p. 107; 09, p. 226. Description.—Male—Head and crest rich dark green with e round white patch near the base of, but not touching, the bill; neck all round and under-parts white ; back black, shoulders white, wing with a white central patch and white stripes on the scapulars ; iris golden yellow, bill dusky, feet orange. Length 20 ; wing 9-10; tail 4-0; culmen 14; tarsus 1-6. The female has the head and upper-neck light snuffy-brown, a wide white or grey collar round the neck ; chest, sides and shoulders grey ; belly white; wing (8-25) dusky with white on the coverts and secondaries. A young male is like the female, but generally shows traces of the white face patch; bill generally dusky brown, not yellow. Distribution.—Breeding from northern New England along the northern border of the United States to British Columbia, northwards Barrow’s Golden-eye 57 to the tree limit. In winter hardly south of the United States and rare to the south. In Colorado the Golden-eye must be considered @ migrant, sometimes spending the winter; but few observations are recorded. Henshaw reports a young female from Conejos cafion at about 9,000 feet, taken by Aiken on August 30th, 1874, and Scott obtained a male in worn summer plumage on June 21st, 1878, at Twin Lakes. It does not seem unlikely, however, that these two birds were Barrow’s Golden-eye, which is known to breed in the mountains. Henderson states that there in an example from Boulder co. taken on Bearley Lake, February 17th, 1908, in the Museum of the University, and that a few examples are killed every year in that neighbourhood. Hersey and Rockwell find it common on migration, and not rare in winter at Barr Lake. Barrow’s Golden-eye. Clangula islandica. A.O.U. Checklist no 152—Colorado Records—Brewer 79 p. 148; Drew 85, p. 18; Morrison 89, p. 165; Cooke 97, pp. 56, 195; 06 p. 51; Henderson 09, p. 226. Description.—Closely resembling C. c. americana, but the head glossed with purplish instead of greenish, and the white patch on the crescentic or triangular, not round, and applied to the whole base of the upper mandible ; the white patch of the wing more or less divided by adark bar. Length about 22 ; wing 9-20; culmen 1-75 ; tarsus 1-60. The female cannot always be distinguished with certainty from that of C.v. americana ; but the head is darker brown, the collar is narrower, and the white area on the wing is more or less completely divided. Mrs. Bailey states that the nail of the billis always wider—over -23, against -20 or under in the other species; bill generally yellow. Distribution.—_Breeding from eastern Canada north to Labrador, and Iceland, and from the mountains of Colorado and Oregon north to Alaska; in summer only a little south of the breeding range to Virginia, the Great Lakes, Utah and San Francisco. In Colorado Barrow’s Golden-éye is a summer resident, breeding in the mountains up to 10,000 feet, while it appears probable that some birds winter in the State, and others, especially on the north- eastern plains, pass to and fro only on migration. Edwin, Carter was the first to find the nest and eggs of this Duck in the Rocky Mountains, or even in the United States, in 1876, as reported by Brewer. He took several nests in Middle Park and even as high as 10,000 feet on Georgia Pass. Morrison reports it as nesting freely in Dolores co. and wintering on the La Plata River, between Fort Lewis and Farmington. Gale observed a female with three young on July 19th, on the north St. Vrain Creek in Boulder co. 58 Birds of Colorado Habits.—The Golden-eyes are birds of strong flight, and this is accompanied by a loud whistling noise, caused by the rapid vibration of their wings. They are there- fore frequently known among gunners as “ whistlers.” They prefer large open lakes, where they dive for their food ; this consists chiefly of mollusca, crustacea and small fishes, though water-weeds are doubtless eaten as well. The nest is always placed in a hollow tree, often in a comparatively small cavity. The eggs, 6 to 10 in number, are bluish-green or sea-green, and average 250 x 1:70. Genus CHARITONETTA. Closely resembling Clangula, but with the nostrils nearer the base of the bill than the tip. One species only. Buffle-head. Charitonetta albeola. A.O.U. Checklist no 153—Colorado Records—Aiken 72, p. 210; Morrison 89, p. 165; Cooke 97, pp. 18, 56, 195; 06, p. 51 ; Henderson 03, p. 234; 09, p. 226. Description.—Male—Head rather puffy in appearance, glossed with green and purple; a conspicuous white patch from just below the eye to the nape; lower neck all round, under-parts, some of the scapulars and a patch on, the wing, white; rest of the upper-parts dusky black, becoming greyish posteriorly ; iris brown, bill dull blue, dusky on the nail and base, feet fleshy. Length 15-0; wing 6-75; tail 3-0; culmen 1-10; tarsus 1-20. The female is dusky grey above, with a white spot below the ear- coverts, a white speculum and belly; wing 6-50. Distribution.— Breeding from Wisconsin and Quebec, north to Hudson Bay and Alaska; south in winter, chiefly in the United States from Massachusetts, Utah and British Columbia southwards to the Valley of Mexico. The Buffle-head is » common Duck in winter and on migration in Colorado. Mr. Hersey informs me there is always a flock all through the winter on Barr Lake, near Denver ; it is better known perhaps a8 4 migrant arriving towards the latter half of March. It is reported from Fort Lyon, March 27th (Cooke), El Paso co. (Aiken), Boulder co. (Henderson), and Loveland, March 20th (Cooke). Carter obtained Old Squaw 59 it in Middle Park, April 14th, 1877, and later a pair in July—which looks as if it might occasionally breed in the mountains, but I have no further confirmation of this. Habits.—In no important respect differing from the Golden-eye in its habits, the Buffle-head is often known as the “ Butter-ball ” or “ Hell-diver.” It is noted for its quick diving to escape a shot, rivalling even the Grebes in this respect. Its flesh is fishy and poor-eating. The nest is placed in holes or in hollow trees, and lined with feathers and down; the eggs, 9 to 10 or even 14, are buffy-drab, and measure about 2:0 x 1:5. Genus HARELDA. Bill short, high at the base, the rounded end occupied by a broad nail; head not crested, nostrils in the basal half of the bill; feathers ending in a straight line across the forehead ; tail of fourteen feathers, much elongated in the male by the prolongation of the central pair of feathers; scapulars also elongated. One species only. Old Squaw. Harelda hyemalis. A.O.U. Checklist no 154—Colorado Records—Deane 95, p. 292; Cooke 97, pp. 56, 195; 06, p. 52; Henderson 03, p. 234; 09, p. 226; H. G. Smith 08, p. 184; Felger 09, p. 282. Description. Male in winter—Head, neck, front part of the back, abdomen, sides, under tail-coverts and lateral tail-feathers white ; scapulars which are elongated and pointed, and a square patch op the side of the face from the eye to the ear-coverts, grey ; another behind this and the whole of the breast, dark brown ; rest of the upper- parts and wings black or brownish-black; central tail-feathers much elongated ; iris yellow, bill black with a transverse band of pink (in dried skins orange), legs yellow (in dried skins). Length about 21; wing 8-5; tail 6-0; culmen 1-1; tarsus 1-3. In summer the male is chiefly sooty with ashy-grey face, white eyelids and belly, and streaks of chestnut on the back and scapulars. The female in winter is dark brown above with the scapulars, which are not elongated, more or less margined with white; head and neck white, with a dark patch on the crown and side of the neck ; a little mottling also on, the fore-breast ; below pure white; tail pointed, but feathers not elongated ; wing 8-5. 60 Birds of Colorado In summer plumage, there is more black about the head and the feathers of the back are margined with rufous and are without white. Distribution.—A circumpolar species, breeding far north and winter- ing south in both hemispheres. In America breeding from Labrador to Alaska northwards, south in winter to North Carolina, the Great Lakes and northern California and casually elsewhere. The Old Squaw is. an occasional winter visitor to north-east Colorado, and has been reported on some half-dozen occasions. A pair shot on McKay Lake north of Denver, November 13th, 1892, by J. B. Sibley, were noticed by Deane. Breninger found one dead near Fort Collins (Cooke). One was shot at Loveland, October 16th, 1898, another at Calkins Lake, Longmont, October 28rd, 1898, by Bryan Haywood, and a third, u male, secured also at Longmont by Judge Park, about November 20th, 1903. These are reported by H. G. Smith, and are now in the State Collection at Denver. Others from the same neighbourhood are noticed by Felger. Habits.—The Old Squaw is one of the swiftest flying as well as most noisy of our Ducks; it is very common in winter on the New England coasts, where it feeds chiefly on various mollusca and small fishes; its meat is not good. Genus HISTRIONICUS. Bill very small and short, rounded at the tip, which bears a large nail ; nostrils in the basal half of the bill ; feather line across the forehead pointed in the middle line in front; wings and tail short; plumage variegated with white patches. One species only. Harlequin Duck. Histrionicus histrionicus. A.0.U. Checklist no 155—Colorado Records—Drew 81, p. 142; 85, p. 18; Morrison 88, p. 140; 89, p. 165; Cooke 97, pp. 57, 195; 06 p. 54. Description.—Male—Head and neck bluish-black with three white patches, one crescent-shaped, in front of the eye, becoming chestnut over the eye, a small rounded one, and a crescentic one on the neck, behind the eye; middle of the crown black, collar white, a white shoulder-patch edged with black; chest and shoulders leaden-blue ; belly sooty, sides bright rufous ; rump black with a white spot on either side; wing with a steely-blue speculum and four white patches ; iris reddish-brown, bill olivaceous, feet greyish-blue. Length 17-0; wing 8-0; tail 4-0; culmen 1-10; tarsus 1-30. American Eider 61 The female is sooty-brown above, paler and mottled with white below and has a white patch on the ear-coverts and sides of the face at the base of the bill; wing 7-5. The young male at first resembles the female and gradually acquires the male characteristic, taking from two to three years to do so. Distribution.—Breeding from Newfoundland north to Greenland and Iceland, and to Alaska and Siberia, also in, Rocky Mountains south to Colorado and central California ; in winter south of its breeding range to Long Island, the Great Lakes and on the Pacific coast from Monterey to Japan. The Harlequin is a rare resident in Colorado, apparently breeding in the mountains from 7,000 to about 10,000 feet, and wintering at lower elevations, but very few observations have been made and we know very little about its movements or its habits. Drew first reported it from San Juan co. where he believed it nested at high elevations; Morrison followed Drew, but gave no definite evidence about its breeding ; he stated, however, that it was common on the river in winter below Fort Lewis, with Barrow’s Golden-eye. The only other notice of this duck in Colorado is that of Carter, who found it breeding on the Blue River, below Breckenridge, at an altitude of 9,200 feet. Genus SOMATERIA. Ducks of large size, with the bill varying in shape but swollen at the base ; feathers of the head running forwards on, to the bill, and forming various frontal and lateral prolongations as far as the nostrils ; plumage chiefly black and white with green about the head. Four species of Arctic or Subarctic range are found in North America but only one hitherto is known to wander to Colorado. American Eider. Somaieria dresseri, A.O.U. Checklist no 160—Colorado Records—Cooke 97, pp. 156, 224; 06, p. 57. Description. Male—Top of the head, rump, tail-coverts and under- parts from the breast black ; occiput washed with sea-green ; rest of the plumage, including the curly inner secondaries and most of the wing-coverts white ; bare frontal spaces on either side at the base of the bill, long, broad, club-shaped and divergent; bill yellowish. Length 2-40; wing 11-0; tail 4:0; culmen 2-0; tarsus 1-75. The female is everywhere varied chiefly in bars with black, chestnut and yellowish-brown, becoming greyish with dusky mottling below. Distribution.—Breeding from the coast of Maine north to Hudson Bay ; wintering from Newfoundland to New Jersey and occasionally 62 Birds of Colorado on the Great Lakes. In Colorado this bird is only an accidental straggler. One was taken by W. G. Smith at Loveland, and was recognised by Prof. Wm. Osburn (Cooke). Genus OIDEMIA. Bill variously swollen, at the base (except in 2 O. americana) and brightly coloured ; nostrils about the middle of the bill or beyond ; plumage black or dusky brown with white patches. Confined to the,Northern Hemisphere ; three species in the United States. Key oF THE SPECIES. A. Feathering of the head not reaching near the nostrils ; no white patches. O. americana, p. 62. B. Feathering of head reaching forward to a level with the nostrils. a. A white patch on the wing. O. deglandi, p. 62. b. No patch on the wing, but two on the forehead and nape respectively. O. perspicillata, p. 63. American Scoter. Oidemia americana. A.O.U. Checklist no 163—Colorado Records—Ridgway 79, p. 234; Morrison 89, p. 165; Cooke 97, p. 57; Felger 09, p. 283. Description.—Male—Black throughout, a little less glossy below, and greyish on the inner web of the primaries ; iris brown, line of the _ base of the bill forming a straight line with the frontel feathers, nostrils “in the middle of the bill, bill itself black, basal knob yellow; feet blackish. Length about 20; wing 9-0; tail 3-5 ; culmen 1-6 ; tarsus 1-7. The female is smaller—wing 8-0—and sooty brown above, paler below ; the bill is black throughout and has no basal knob. Distribution.—Breeding in northern Labrador and on the Alaskan and north-east Siberian coasts; wintering on the coasts south to New Jersey and southern California, and on the Great Lakes. An accidental straggler to Colorado, seldom recorded. There was an adult male in Mrs. Maxwell’s collection, presumably taken in Colorado (Ridgway); Breninger found a dead bird of this species at Fort Collins (Cooke). Hersey informs me it has been taken at Barr, and Felger notes one from Aurora Lake, in the neighbourhood of Denver, October 2nd, 1901. White-winged Scoter. Oidemia deglandi. A.O.U. Checklist no 165—Colorado Records—Cooke 94, p. 183; 97, pp. 57, 195 ; 06, p. 61 ; H. G. Smith 96, p. 48 ; 08, p. 184 ; Henderson 03, p. 107; 07, p. 198; 09, p. 226; Bergtold 04, p. 78. Surf Scoter 63 Description.—Male—Plumage black throughout, less glossy below ; @ white patch on the wing and a small white spot below and behind the eye; iris white; frontal feathers encroaching on the bill along the culmen to a level with the nostrils, which are in the anterior half of the bill; on the sides to a less extent, so that the line of the base of the bill is much curved ; bill black at the base and sides, front part of knob and tip orange; legs orange with black webs and joints. Length 22-0; wing 11-5; tail 3-25; culmen, 1:8; tarsus 2-0. The female is sooty brown above, paler below and retains the white speculum and has indistinct whitish patches on the face 3 iris dark brown, bill less swollen and black throughout, feet fleshy but with black webs. Distribution.—Breeding from the Gulf of St. Lawrence and North Dakota to the Arctic coasts, and on the Pacific coasts of British Columbia and Alaska ; south in winter to Lower California and South Carolina on, the coasts, and to the Great Lakes and prairie States in the interior. A rare winter visitor, chiefly in October and November to north-east Colorado. Some nine instances are recorded from lakes near Denver, Loveland, and Fort Collins, all in October or November. There is & specimen shot at Lasalle, near Greeley, October 24th, 1904, and presented to the State Museum at Denver by H. G. Clark, and Aiken tells me he has examined an example shot on a reservoir near Skinners, south of Colorado Springs, in October, 1907, by Johnson of Denver. This last is the most southern record for the State. Surf Scoter. Oidemia perspicillata. A.O.U. Checklist no 166—Colorado Records—H. G. Smith 96, p. 48; 08, p. 184; Cooke 97, pp. 57, 196; 06, p. 62. Description.—Male—General colour glossy black, duller below, no white on the wings, but a triangular patch pointing forward on the forehead, and another on the nape pointing back. Iris pearly white ; frontal feathers extending forward along the culmen nearly or quite to the nostrils, but not at all on the sides; bill swollen on the sides, coloured white, orange, red and black, the latter forming a rounded spot at the base of the upper mandible; feet orange-red with dusky webs and joints. Length 21-0; wing 9-25; tail 3-40; culmen 1-5; tarsus 1-63. The female is sooty brown, paler silvery-grey below, with a whitish loreal and auricular patch. Iris yellowish-white ; bill hardly swollen, blackish throughout; feet dusky orange with dusky webs ; wing 8.50. Distribution.—Breeding from Quebec Province and from Sitka north to the Arctic coast; in winter along the coasts to Lower 64 Birds of Colorado California and Florida, and in the interior to the Great Lakes and the prairie states to the west. In Colorado the status of this Scoter is very similar to that of the White-winged, but it has not been noticed quite so often. H. G. Smith first reported it—a young male or female—from Marston Lake, near Denver, in October, 1887. There are two examples in the State collection at Denver—a male from Barr Lake, obtained by L. B. Meek, October 22nd, 1899, and another from Loveland, shot by H. A. Flynn, October 31st of the same year. Habits.—All the Scoters are very similar in habits ; they are essentially marine Ducks, feeding principally on mussels and other shell-fish. Consequently their flesh is coarse and rank. They live almost entirely on the water, sleeping there at night and swimming and diving during the day. Genus ERISMATURA. Bill about equal to the head ; the nail at the tip hardly visible from above but expanded below, and decurved and bent back underneath the tip of the bill; tail-feathers 16 to 20 in number, elongated, more than half the length of the wing, stiffened and exposed almost to their bases owing to the shortness of the coverts; tarsus short, about half the middle toe with claw. An almost cosmopolitan genus with only one North American species. Ruddy Duck. Hrismatura jamaicensis. A.O.U. Checklist no 167—Colorado Records—Aiken 72, p. 210; Drew 85, p. 18; Beckham 85, p. 144; W. G. Smith 88, p. 132 ; Morrison 89, p. 165 ; Cooke 97, pp. 18, 57, 196; 06, p. 63; Keyser 02, p. 143; Dille 03, p. 74; Henderson 03, p. 234, 09, p. 226; Warren 09, p. 13. Description.—Male—Crown and back of the neck black ; sides of the face from the bill to the ear-coverts, including the chin, white ; lower neck all round, sides and upper-parts, rufous chestnut ; dusky brown on the wings, rump and tail; below silvery white, slightly mottled with brown, especially about the lower flanks; iris reddish-brown, bill, eyelids and feet bluish. Length 17; wing 6-0; tail 3-5; culmen 1-6 ; tarsus 1-2. The young male and adult female are mottled rufous and dusky, speckled brown, above and below, rather darker on the crown and whiter on the cheeks ; below, the rufous forms a tawny wash. The shape of the bill and the long stiff tail at once distinguishes this Duck from all others. Ruddy Duck 65 Distribution.—Ranging from Labrador and British Columbia to Guatemala and the West Indies, breeding chiefly towards the north but also south, as far as Guatemala, Cuba and Porto Rico, and wintering as far north as Maine and southern British Columbia. In Colorado the Ruddy Duck is a summer resident breeding in the plains and also in the mountains, probably up to about 8,000 feet, though Drew says 10,000 feet. It arrives rather late for a duck— at the end of March or beginning of April. It breeds at Loveland (Smith) and Barr (Hersey & Rockwell), and near Greeley, whence there are eggs in the Colorado College Museum, and probably at San Luis Lakes, where it was taken by Aiken, July 11th. Other localities are Boulder co. (Henderson), El Paso co. (Aiken), Pueblo (Beckham), Fort Lyon (Thorne), Breckenridge on migration (Carter), Buens Vista (Keyser), Crested Butte and Coventry (Warren). Habits.—The Ruddy Duck in some ways resembles the Grebes in its habits. It swims high in the water with its tail erect and spread out like a fan; it prefers to escape by diving rather than by flight, and it can sink silently into the water, where it uses its long tail like a rudder. It feeds chiefly on roots and the slender stems of water-plants growing on the bottom, which it obtains by diving, and also on small mollusca. Smith states that their nests are difficult to find, and that eggs are dropped about rather promiscuously. Rockwell tells me that he has often found them in the nests of other ducks ; the nests are built chiefly of flags in water six to twelve inches deep, while a run-way of roots is built up on oneside. The eggs, 7 to 9 in number, are remarkably large for the size of the bird ; they measure about 2°45 x 1:85, and are rough, thick-shelled and dirty white. Dille gives June 19th as an average date for fresh eggs. Those presented to the Colorado College by I. C. Hall were taken June 28th, but they were slightly incubated. Subfamily ANSERINZ. The Wild Geese are distinguished from the Swans by having the lores and face completely feathered, and F 66 Birds of Colorado by their shorter necks, and from the Ducks by their reticulate tarsi; the sexes are alike and the hallux or hind toe is simple and not lobed. Key oF THE GENERA. A. Bill and feet always black. Branta, p. 68. B. Bill and feet not black, usually pink or yellow. a. Depth of bill at base more than the length of the culmen; plumage mainly white. Chen, p. 66. b. Depth of bill at base less than half the culmen; plumage never mainly white. Anser, p. 68. Genus CHEN. Bill about equal to the head, high at the base, its depth there more than half the length of the culmen; serrations on the cutting-edge of the upper mandible prominent, large and fully exposed ; plumage chiefly white, or white and grey; bill and feet red. Four species, chiefly in the Arctic regions of the Northern Hemisphere. Key oF THE SPECIES. A. Outline of the frontal feathering forming « convex line at the base of the bill. a. Larger; wing over 17. C. h. nivalis, p. 67. b. Smaller; wing under 17. C. hyperboreus, p. 66. B. Outline of the frontal feathering nearly straight; size still smaller, wing about 14:5. C. rossi, p. 67 Snow-Goose. Chen hyperboreus. A.O.U. Checklist no 169—Colorado Records—Henshaw 75, p. 470; Thorne 87, p. 264; Morrison 89, p. 165; Cooke 97, pp. 18, 58, 196; 06, p. 65; Henderson 03, p. 234; 09, p. 226; Rockwell 08, p. 158. Description. Adult—Pure white except the wing, the tips of which are black and the bases grey; head often stained with rusty-brown ; iris dark brown, bill dull red with a white tip and black along the cutting-edge; legs dull pink. Length 25-0; wing 17-0 or less; tail 5-5; culmen 2-3; tarsus 3:1. Young birds have the top of the head and upper-parts light grey, and the bill and feet dark. Distribution. Breeding on the Arctic coasts of the Mackenzie Province and probably in north-east Asia; wintering from the Mis- sissippi Valley to California and south to central Mexico; in Asia to Japan. Greater Snow-Goose 67. In Colorado the Snow-Goose is a bird of passage in spring and autumn, chiefly on the eastern plains ; it is also reported by Sullivan at Grand Junction about March 4th and October 20th (Rockwell). It was noted at Fort Lyon and Loveland in the plains by Carter, and in Middle Park (Cooke), while there is an example in the Colorado Museum of Natural History at Denver, killed at Barr Lake by J. T. Mason. Henshaw, many years ago, was informed that it wintered in San Luis Valley, but this has never been confirmed. Habits.—Goss states that he has seen thousands of these Geese in the fall and early spring in the Arkansas Valley, feeding on the winter wheat, pulling up the young and tender blades with a sudden jerk and doing a great deal of damage. The flight is noisy and usually in the form of a V, headed by a recognized leader. Greater Snow-Goose. Chen hypoboreus nivalis. A.O.U. Checklist no 169a—Colorado Records—Cooke 97, pp. 58, 196; Henderson 03, p. 234; 09, p. 226. Description.—Only differing from Chen hypoboreus in its larger dimensions—i.e. length 27; wing17-0 or more; tail 6-5; culmen 2-5 ; tarsus 3-25. Distribution.—Breeding north of Hudson Bay—exact locality uncertain; in winter chiefly east of the Mississippi Valley, and on the Atlantic coast to the Greater Antilles. In Colorado this eastern bird is only a straggler. A Goose shot by Z. X. Snyder east of Greeley, March 20th, 1895, and another on Boyd’s Lake near Loveland, April 9th, 1899, by J. F. Campion, the latter now in the State collection at Denver, both seem referable to this subspecies. Ross’s Goose. Chen rossi. A.O.U. Checklist no 170—Colorado Record—Felger 07, p. 211. Description.—In plumage resembling the Snow Goose but much smaller; outline of frontal feathers on the base of the bill nearly straight, not convex; base of the bill studded with numerous fleshy papille, and the cutting-edges of the bill not black and not showing the horny teeth so plainly. Length 21; wing 14:5; tail 5-0; culmen 1-5; tarsus 2-5. Distribution.—Exact breeding grounds unknown, probably the Arctic islands between 120° and 110° W. long. ; south in winter, chiefly on the coast of California. F2 ‘68 Birds of Colorado Ross’s Snow-Goose is a rare straggler in Colorado, and has only once been recorded. A male specimen was shot on December 23rd, 1906, at the Kennicott Club Lake, near Longmont, by Capt. Eli, U.S8.A., and is now in the Colorado Museum of Natural History at Denver. It was associating with a flock of Mallards at the time. Genus ANSER. Resembling Chen but with a somewhat weaker bill, the depth of which is less than half the culmen, and with the lamelle somewhat less exposed ; plumage never extensively white. Confined to the Northern Hemisphere with only one North American species. American White-fronted Goose. Anser albifrons gambeli. A.O.U. Checklist no 171a—Colorado Records—Ridgway 79, p. 233; Morrison 89, p. 165; Cooke 97, pp. 58, 196; Felger 09, p. 283. Description.—Male—Anterior part of the face and forehead white, bordered by dusky ; rest of the head and neck, shoulders and chest dark grey ; back dusky grey; upper tail-coverts white; below black or spotted with black, becoming white on the under tail-coverts ; iris dark brown, bill'pink and yellow with the nail white, feet yellow. Length 28-0; wing 17-0; tail 5-5 culmen 2-0; tarsus 3-0. The female is rather smaller. A young bird is rather darker and has no white on the face or black on the under-parts ; bill, including the nail, dusky. Distribution.—Breeding on the coast of Alaska and Yukon, and wintering in the southern half of the United States, and further south to Cuba and northern Mexico. The White-fronted Goose is hardly known in Colorado. There was an example in Mrs. Maxwell’s collection probably from Colorado, and there is a specimen in the Carter collection from Middle Park, where Carter reports he has seen it on occasions in considerable numbers. Hersey has observed it once or twice at Barr, and Felger reports one killed near Masters on the South Platte, March 25th, 1903. Genus BRANTA. Bill rather short; lamellz of upper mandible quite hidden; bill and feet entirely black ; head partly or wholly black. The Northern Hemisphere with three species in North America. Key oF THE SPECIES. A. A white cheek-patch on the black head. a. Larger; wing over 17; 18—20 tail-feathers. B. canadensis, p. 69. ‘ Canada Goose 69 b. Smaller; wing 15—17; 16 tail-feathers. B. c. hutchinsi, p. 70 c. Smallest; wing under 15; 14—16 tail-feathers. B, cv. minima, p. 70. B. No white cheek-patch; head wholly black. B. b. glaucogastra, p. 71. Canada Goose. Branta canadensis. A.0.U. Checklist no 172—Colorado Records—Ridgway 73, p. 188 Coues 77, p. 51 ; Drew 85, p. 18 ; Morrison 89, p. 166 ; Cooke 97, pp. 58, 156, 196 ; 06, p. 72; Henderson, 03, p. 234; 09, p. 226; Rockwell 08, p. 158; Warren 09, p. 13. Description. Adult—-Head, neck, rump and tail black; a white patch on the face behind the eye, meeting its fellow below ; upper- parts greyish-brown, with paler tips to many of the feathers, and dusky to blackish on the flight-feathers; upper tail-coverts white; below ashy grey, becoming white on the abdomen, and under tail-coverts ; tail with eighteen or twenty feathers ; iris brown, bill and legs black. Length about 36-0; wing 18-20; tail 7-0; culmen 2-0; tarsus 3-5. Young birds have the white of the cheeks speckled with dusky. Distribution.—Breeding from Newfoundland_to Iowa and the interior of British Columbia northwards; wintering in the southern United States from Maryland to California. In Colorado this is probably the most common of the Wild Geese ; it is known as a summer resident, chiefly in the north, as a winter resident in the south and north, and perhaps most commonly as a migrant. It was found breeding by Coues in a small lake on the southern slopes of North Park many years ago. Carter reports it as breeding in Middle Park, while Cooke discovered that it nested near Niwot in Boulder co. at the low elevation of 5,500 feet. At Barr it is a fairly common winter resident, and still more common on migration. It has been noted by Gale in the Boulder foothills, March 17th, by Sullivan at Grand Junction, a large flock, March 18th (Rock- well), and by Smith at Coventry in spring (Warren). It is possible some of these notices refer to the smaller Hutchins’s Goose. Habits.—The familiar ‘“‘ Honk, honk, honk,” of the migrating Canada Goose is well known over the greater part of North America, and notwithstanding the many wiles and devices of the gunner they still hold their own. Their flight is strong and steady, and very high up when migrating, the flock forming a V or long line ; when in winter quarters they spend the night on the 70 Birds of Colorado water, sleeping on the surface in considerable numbers ; at daybreak they move off their feeding-grounds, and this is the time when the sportsman, lying hidden on the edge of the lake, gets his chance. They feed in the stubble-field in the autumn and among the young wheat in spring, when they do a good deal of damage. They nest naturally on the ground near water ; if it is dry, merely lining a depression in the ground with down, but otherwise putting together a bulky structure of grass or weeds. Where robbed or persecuted they often make use of trees, sometimes adopting the nests of Herons or Hawks for the purpose. The eggs, 6 to 7 in number, are dull white with often a faint greenish tinge, and measure 3°75 x 2°45. Hutchins’s Goose. Branta canadensis hutchinsi. A.O.U. Checklist no 172a—Colorado Records—Aiken 73, p. 210; Morrison, 89, p. 166 ; Cooke 97, p. 59. Description.—In every other respect resembling the Canada Goose, but smaller and with normally sixteen, instead of eighteen, tail-feathers. Length about 25:0; wing 16-0; tail 5-5; culmen 1-4; tarsus 2-7. Distribution.—Breeding far north, along the coast of the Arctic Ocean, from Melville Peninsula to Alaska; south in winter to the southern United States west of the Mississippi and especially to California, In Colorado Hutchins’s Goose is either of rare occurrence or has not been distinguished from the Canada Goose. There is an example in the State Historical Society's collection at Denver, shot near Love- land, April 10th, 1898, by J. F. Campion ; and Aiken many years ago killed one in December, near Fountain, El] Paso co. Hersey informs me it is not so plentiful as formerly, but that 1 bunch of seven birds wintered at Barr in 1908-09, in company of a flock of the Canada. It is a rare migrant, occasionally spending the winter. Cackling Goose. Branta canadensis minima. A.0.U. Checklist no 172c—Colorado Record—Cooke 97, p. 196; 99, p. 187. Description.—Closely resembling B. canadensis but rather darker especially below, the cheek patches usually separated on the throat Brant Goose 71 by a black patch, and a more or less distinct white half collar on, the lower-neck ; tail with fourteen or sixteen, feathers ; size smaller even than B. c. hutchinst. Length 23-25 ; wing 14-0 ; culmen 1-0; tarsus 2-6, Distribution—Breeding in Alaska and the Aleutian Islands; in winter from southern, British Columbia to southern California; else- where 2 wanderer. The Cackling Goose is a rare straggler to Colorado. One specimen, only has been identified (Cooke) ; this was shot near Loveland, April 10th, 1898, by Mr. J. F. Campion, and is now in the State collection in the Capitol at Denver. This example appears to me to be more properly referable to Hutchins’s Goose than to this species. It is the only definite record. Brant. Branta bernicla glaucogastra. A.0.U. Checklist no 173—Colorado Records—Thorne 87, p 264 ; Cooke 97, p. 59. Description. Adult—Head, throat, neck and upper-breast black ; a little white mottling on the sides of the neck; back brownish-grey margined with lighter; longer lateral upper tail-coverts white ; lower- breast ashy-grey, fading to white on the abdomen, darker on the sides ; iris brown, bill and feet black Length 24-0; wing 13-0; tail 4:5; culmen 1-35; tarsus 2-25. Young birds are very similar, but have less white on the sides of the neck and the wing-coverts and secondaries are white tipped. Distribution.—Breeding on, the west coast of Greenland, and as far north as land extends; south in winter to the Atlantic coast from New Jersey to Florida; a straggler only elsewhere. There is only one recorded notice of the occurrence of the Brant in Colorado. Captain Thorne shot a specimen at Fort Lyon, April 11th, 1883. Though not preserved, there can be little doubt about its identification. Subfamily CYGNINZ. The Swans resemble the Geese, having reticulate tarsi, a simple unlobed hallux and sexes alike ; they are dis- tinguished from them by their long necks, and by having the lores between the eye and the bill naked and without feathers—at least in the adults. Genus OLOR. In addition to the above-mentioned characters, the prevailing colour of the plumage is white, and normally the trachea is prolonged and coiled in 2 cavity in the sternum. Several species in the northern hemisphere and South America. 72 Birds of Colorado Key oF THE SPECIES. A. A yellow spot on the bill in front of the eye. O. columbianus, p. 72. B. No yellow on the bill O. buccinator, p. 72. Whistling Swan. Olor columbianus. A.O.U. Checklist no 180—Colorado Records—Ridgway 73, p. 188; 79, p. 233; H. G. Smith 95, p. 48; Cooke 97, pp. 59,196; 09, p. 84; Henderson 03, p. 107; 09, p. 226. Description.—Adult—Plumage white throughout; tail normally of twenty feathers ; iris brown, bill black with usually a yellow spot at its base in front of the eye, nostrils at about the middle of the bill, feet black, Length about 54; wing 22; tail 8; culmen 4; tarsus 4-35, The female is slightly smaller and the young birds are grey. Distribution. Breeding chiefly north of the Arctic circle from Hudson Bay to Alaska; wintering on the Atlantic and Pacific coasts of the United States, and occasionally in the interior and on the Gulf. The Whistling Swan is perhaps rather more often met with than the Trumpeter, but both can only be classed as occasional stragglers on migration in Colorado. There was a pair in the Maxwell collection, and H. G. Smith gave a list of half a dozen instances of their occurrence, mentioning Berthoud, Rush Creek and Julesberg as localities. Cooke states that one was obtained near Fort Collins, March 16th, 1895, and that Carter procured one in Middle Park. Finally, according to Henderson, there is an example in the Museum of the University of Colorado at Boulder, and three more were brought in for identi- fication by local hunters in the spring of 1907. Trumpeter Swan. Olor buccinator. A.0.U. Checklist no 181—Colorado Records—Morrison 89, p. 166; H. G. Smith 95, p. 48 ; Cooke 97, p. 59; 06, p. 86. Description.—Adult—Plumage white throughout; tail normally of twenty-four feathers; iris brown, bill entirely black, the nostrils situated in its basal half; feet black. Length about 60; wing 24; tail 9; culmen 4:5; tarsus 5-0. Young birds are smaller and have the plumage grey, with the head and upper-neck inclining to rusty brown. Distribution.—Breeding now north of 60° N. lat., between the Rocky Mountains and Hudson Bay, formerly as far south as Iowa and Idaho. In winter south to Texas and southern California. The Trumpeter is now only very occasionally met with in Colorado ; it was probably more abundant formerly, though there is no evidence of its breeding in the State. Trumpeter Swan 73 Smith notices two examples—one shot thirty miles south of Denver, probably at Palmer Lake, and one in the south of the State ; Cooke adds another shot at Fort Collins in the fall of 1896, while there is an example in the Colorado Museum of Natural History at Denver, obtained at Eaton, near Greeley. ORDER HERODIONES. This order contains the Storks, Herons, Ibises and Spoonbills, but not the Cranes. They are all marsh- loving birds, mostly of large size, and have long bills and necks and legs. The lower part of the tibial portion of the leg is nearly always bare; the toes are long with only a basal web as a rule, while the hind toe is jointed on a level with the others in nearly every case; the young are hatched helpless, and dependent on their parents for a considerable time. The order comprises six families; representatives of three of these are found in Colorado. Key or THE FAMILIES AND GENERA. A. Bill flattened and spoon-shaped (Plataleide). Ajaja, p. 74. B. Bill long and down-curved and grooved throughout. (Ibidida). a. Face and chin naked in adults. Plegadis, p. 76. b. Only the front of the face naked. Guara, p. 75. C. Bill long and straight, with the tip only decurved ; not grooved on the sides ; claw of middle toe not pectinated (Cicontide). Mycteria, p. 78. D. Bill long and straight, grooved along the sides; claw of the middle toe pectinated on, the inner side (Ardeide). a. Ten, tail-feathers. al Larger tarsus shorter than the middle toe and claw. Botaurus, p. 79. b? Smaller tarsus about equal to the middle toe and claw. Ixobrychus, p. 81. b. Twelve tail-feathers. ai Naked portion of the tibio-tarsus equal to or exceeding the inner toe and claw. a? Plumage white. a® Long plumes on the back only. Herodias, p. 84. 74 Birds of Colorado b? Long plumes on the crown and neck as well as the back. Egretta, p. 84. b? Plumage not white. a? Larger—wing over 17 ; « white line on the throat. Ardea, p. 82. b? Smaller—wing under 15; no white on throat, but plu- mage sometimes entirely white. Dichromanassa, p. 86. c? Smallest—wing under 8; prevailing colour green. Butorides, p. 86. bt Naked portion of the tibio-tarsus much shorter than the inner toe and claw. a? ‘Tarsus short, about equal to middle toe and claw. Nycticorax, p. 87. b? Tarsus longer, exceeding the middle toe and claw. Nyctanassa, p. 88. Family PLATALEDZ. The Spoonbills are so closely allied to the Ibises in all essential anatomical characters, that they have often been all placed together in one family; the curious spoon-shaped bill, however, at once distinguishes these birds from all others, and constitutes their claims to family distinction. Genus AJAJA. In addition to the spoon-shaped bill, these birds have the head bald in the adult, and the throat somewhat pouched ; the nostrils are basal and linear-oblong; tail of twelve feathers; tarsi reticulate with hexagonal plates; toes semipalmate ; plumage white and pink; sexes alike. Only one species is recognized. Roseate Spoonbill. Ajaja ajaja. A.O.U. Checklist no 183—Colorado Records—Morrison 89, p. 166; H. G. Smith 96, p. 65; Cooke 97, p. 59. Description.—Adult—Head and throat bare of feathers, varied green, yellow, orange and black; neck and upper-back white, sometimes tinged with pink ; sides of the breast and end of the tail ochraceous- buff; rest of the plumage pink to carmine; iris pink, bill like the head, legs carmine. Length 32; wing 14-5; tail 5-0; culmen 6-25; tarsus 4-0, White Ibis 75 ‘The female is slightly smaller; the young bird has brown, on the wings, and does not attain its full plumage till the third year. Distribution.—From, Florida and the Gulf states south to the Straits of Magellan. A rare wanderer to Illinois and Colorado. The Spoonbill has been, twice noticed in Colorado. Trippe reported to Morrison that wu female was caught, and died shortly after, near Silverton, in June, 1888, and H. G. Smith saw one in Denver, which was said to have been killed near Pueblo in August, 1890. Family IBIDIDZ. Bill long and down-curved throughout, the sides somewhat compressed, a longitudinal groove on each side, at the base of which are the nostrils ; tail of twelve rectrices ; tarsi reticulate or scutellate. Genus GUARA. Face, including the chin, naked in the adults; head not crested ; claws stout and strongly curved; plumage not metallic, either white or scarlet. Key oF THE SPECIES. wt a. Plumage white. G. alba, p. 75. b. Plumage scarlet. G. rubra, p. 76. White Ibis. Guara alba. A.0.U. Checklist no 184—Colorado Records—H. G. Smith 96, p. 65; Cooke 97, p. 59. Description.—Adult—Plumage white except the tips of the wings, which are black; iris pearly-blue, bare face, bill and legs orange to carmine. Length 26; wing 11-75; tail 5-0; culmen 5 to 7; tarsus 3-5. The female is slightly smaller; young birds are dull brown above, and have less bare skin about the face. Distribution.—The southern United States north to North Carolina, Illinois and Utah; south to the West Indies and northern South America. A single instance of the occurrence of the White Ibis is reported from Colorado : H. G. Smith identified a specimen shot at Barr Lake near Denver in 1890. 76 Birds of Colorado Scarlet Ibis. Guara rubra. A.O.U. Checklist no [185]—Colorado Records—Lowe 94, p. 324; Cooke 97, pp. 60, 156 ; 97a, p. 316; 98, p. 183. Description.—Adult—Plumage scarlet, except the tips of the wing, which are black; bare parts of head, bill and legs, red. Dimensions as in the White Ibis. Distribution.—Eastern parts of tropical South America, north casually on about half-a-dozen occasions to the United States. Lowe reports an example shot on Grape Creek in Wet Mountain Valley, Custer co., May, 1876, by a friend of Mr. Livesey, in whose collection the specimen was preserved. A subsequent record published by Cooke (97a) was based on a misapprehension on the part of the taxidermist, and afterwards corrected. The occurrence of the Scarlet Ibis in the mountains of Colorado at an elevation of at least 8,000 feet is most remarkable, as this bird is essentially an inhabitant of the damp tropical forests and rivers of South America. Genus PLEGADIS, Only a space between the eye and the base of the bill without feathers ; claws long and slightly curved; plumage metallic glossy green and chestnut. Key oF THE SPECIES. a. Feathers surrounding the bare face black. P. autumnalis, p. 76. b. Feathers surrounding the bare face white. P. guarauna, p. 77. Glossy Ibis. Plegadis autumnalis, A.O.U. Checklist no 186—Colorado Record—Cooke 97, p. 196. Description, _Resembling the White-faced Glossy Ibis, but the feathers round the bare face black, not white, and the bare skin of the face slaty-blue or greenish, not red ; dimensions rather larger. Length 25; wing 11-85. Distribution.—The warmer parts of the Old World ; in the New, the south-eastern United States and the West Indies, straggling further north and west. Cooke notes two occurrences only in Colorado. Mr. A. T. Allen, of Denver, shot a fine specimen in full plumage some years ago near that place, which was examined by Cooke, and Mr. Voight killed an adult male April 12th, 1898, on the Arkansas, three miles above Salida, which was identified by Aiken. Hersey informs me he has one in his collection taken June, 1905, at Barr. White-faced Glossy Ibis 77 White-faced Glossy Ibis. Plegadis guarauna. A.O.U. Checklist no 187—Colorado Records—Ridgway 73, p. 187; 79, p. 233; Drew 85, p. 18; Morrison 89, p. 166; Smith 96, p. 65; Cooke 97, pp. 60, 156, 197; 98, p. 183; Warren, 09, p. 13; Felger 09, p- 284; Hersey & Rockwell 09, p. 114. Description. Male—A margin of white feathers round the bare spaces on the sides of the face; rest of the head, neck, shoulders and under-parts rich dark chestnut ; crown, back and wings glossed with metallic purple and green; iris red, bill blackish, reddening towards the tip ; bare skin of face reddish, dusky in dried skins, legs dusky red. Length 24; wing 10-5; tail4-5; culmen 5-5; tarsus 4-0. The female is smaller—wing 9-5. Young birds in first plumage are a lustrous plain green with the legs and bill black. Distribution——South and western North America from Florida and Texas to Oregon, and thence south to the Argentine and Chili, through the West Indies and Mexico. The White-faced Glossy Ibis is a rather uncommon summer resident in Colorado, breeding up to about 7,500 feet. It was first noticed by Aiken, who observed it on the South Platte in South Park in Sep- tember, 1872, and subsequently found it nesting at San Luis Lakes, July lst, 1875. H. G. Smith reports it from Marston Lake, near Denver, and Beymer secured one out of a flock of six, April 23rd, 1897, on the Arkansas near Rocky Ford (Cooke). Other occurrences are Barr Lake, October 3rd, 1898, Twin Lakes, South and Middle Parks and Glenwood Springs (Cooke) ; Norwood, San Miguel co., September 21st, 1907 (Warren). Hersey and Rockwell saw two individuals, probably the same birds, on five occasions in May and June, 1907, at Barr, but could find no evidence of their nesting. Habits.—Goss states that at a distance the metallic colours of the Glossy Ibis are invisible, so that it appears to be a plain blackish bird, and is therefore generally known as the Black Curlew. It is a gregarious species, frequenting moist ground at the edges of lakes. The food consists of crayfish, frogs, snails, and aquatic insects. In flight the head and neck are stretched out to their fullest extent. They rise in confusion, but when going any distance quickly form into line abreast and fly forward in a wavy formation. They breed in colonies, often with Herons and other marsh-birds, in swamps or shallow lakes. The nest 78 Birds of Colorado is strongly and compactly woven of dead reeds, about a foot in diameter and well cupped. The eggs, usually three sometimes five, are deep bluish-green and average about 2°0 x 1°42. Family CICONIIDZ. The Storks are large birds with stout bills, longer than the head, straight to the tip or sometimes slightly decurved but without distinct grooves on either side ; tibie half bare; front toes webbed at the base, outer one specially so, and the claw of the middle toe not pectinated. Genus MYCTERIA, Bill decurved at tip; nostrils basal; whole head and neck of adult naked and scaly, and crowned with a horny plate ; tibie bare for half their length ; anterior toes webbed at the base. This genus, known, until quite recently as Tantalus, has had its name changed to Mycteria (see Allen, ‘‘ Auk ”’ xxv., p. 37). Only one species is recognized. Wood Ibis. Mycteria americana. A.O.U. Checklist no 188—Colorado Records—Ridgway 79, p. 233 (Tantalus loculator); Morrison 89, p. 166; Cooke 97, pp. 60, 197; Felger 03, p. 65. Description.—Adult—Plumage white throughout, except for the wing-quills and tail-feathers, which are glossy black; the under wing- coverts pink im the breeding season ; iris brown, bill dingy yellow, naked head and neck scaly, legs bluish. Length about 48; wing 19; tail 7-10; culmen 9-0; tarsus 8-0. The female is smaller—wing 17. A young bird has the head and neck covered with greenish-brown feathers, and the rest of the plumage dull white. Distribution.—The southern United States, from the Carolinas and California south to the West Indies and the Argentine; casually to middle and northern United States. An occasional wanderer to Colorado; Mrs. Maxwell’s collection contained a young bird; Carter reported its occurrence on the Blue River, twenty-five miles below Breckenridge, on the evidence of a wing American Bittern 79 and bill; Felger states that two were taken by Mr. L. L. Llewellyn at Fort Logan, close to Denver, August 30th, 1902, one of which is now in the State collection at Denver. Family ARDEIDZ, This family is a large one, containing the Herons, Egrets, Bitterns, and their allies. The bill is generally slender and straight with the usual longitudinal groove, and notched at the tip; there are eleven primaries and the number of the rectrices varies from eight to twelve ; hind toe on a level with the others ; a basal web between the middle and inner, nearly obsolete between the middle and outer toes ; claw of the middle toe pectinated. For key of the genera, see p. 73. Genus BOTAURUS. Birds of medium size—wing about 12, with the bill rather short ; culmen slightly shorter than the tarsus; mandibles serrated near the tips; tail short, of ten, feathers only ; tibio-tarsus feathered down to about three-quarters of an inch from the joint; tarsus distinctly shorter than the middlé toe and claw; plumage long, lax, mottled yellow and black; no ornamental plumes. A widespread genus found over the greater part of the world, with only one American species. American Bittern. Botaurus lentiginosus. A.O.U. Checklist no 190—Colorado Records—Aiken 72, p. 209; Drew 85, p. 18; Morrison 89, p. 166 ; Cooke 97, pp. 19, 60, 197 ; Dille 03, p. 74; Rockwell 08, p. 158 ; Henderson 09, p. 227 ; Felger 09, p. 285. Description.—Adult—Upper-surface ochraceous-yellow and dark rufous freckled with dusky, becoming plain dusky brown on the primaries and on the crown; below paler yellow, with a number of brown, darker-edged stripes chiefly on the lower-neck and breast ; white on, the throat; a black lateral streak on the neck ; iris yellow, bill yellowish, dusky on the culmen, legs dull yellowish-green. Length 28-0; wing 11-25; tail 4-0; culmen 3-0; tarsus 3-60. The female is smaller—wing about 10-0, but the variation in size is very great, irrespective of locality or sex. Coues gives the length as varying from 32 to 45, and the wing from 9-50 to 13. 80 Birds of Colorado Distribution.—Temperate North America from Newfoundland and British Columbia south to the West Indies and Guatemala; breeding throughout the greater part of its range, but in the northern half only a summer resident. Occasionally in Europe. In Colorado the Bittern is a fairly common summer bird, arriving early in May and breeding in the plains and foothills up to about 8,000 feet. Felger saw one as late as December 28th, near Fort Morgan, so a few may perhaps spend the winter in the State. Carter found it nesting in Middle Park at about 7,000 feet, and A. D. Baker in the Wet Mountain Valley at about 8,000 feet (Cooke). On the western slope it has been noticed by Sullivan near Grand Junction in summer, but he did not succeed in finding the nest. Other records are Fort Lyon, April 26th, and Loveland, May 13th (Cooke), Boulder co., plains (Henderson), Barr, common summer resident, breeding (Hersey & Rockwell), near Colorado Springs, May 15th and October 5th (Aiken), Crested Butte, in the fall (Warren), Salida, April (Frey). Habits.—The Bittern is a singular bird, found solitary or in pairs in swamps and marshes. It is very deliberate in its movements, and has marvellous powers of con- cealment. It simply stands still with bill and neck vertically upraised, when the striped plumage so com- pletely harmonizes with the surroundings that it is practically invisible. It is also noted for its astonishing vocal performance. This resembles the working of an old- fashioned pump, or even in the same bird the driving of a stake into a bog. From this it is sometimes known as the ‘‘Thunder-pumper”’ or ‘“ Stake-driver.” The noise can be heard a long way off, and is caused by inflating the throat and emitting the air with a gulping motion. The food of the Bittern consists of frogs, small fishes, and aquatic insects, which are usually obtained by spearing with the sharp-pointed bill. The nest is generally placed on the ground in or near marshes; it is built up chiefly of rushes, The eggs, 3 to 4 in number, are brownish drab, oval in shape, and measure 2°0 x 1°48. Dille gives June 20th as the average time for fresh eggs in northern Colorado. Least Bittern 81 Genus IXOBRYCHUS. Very small Bitterns—wing 4 to 5—with the head and nape slightly crested ; the culmen about equal to or slightly exceeding the tarsus and the middle toe with claw, which are themselves about equal; ten tail-feathers ; sexes unlike. A large, world-wide genus, with two American species only. Least Bittern. Ixobrychus exilis. A.O.U. Checklist no 191—Colorado Records—Cooke 94, p. 183 ; 97 pp. 61, 157, 197. Description.—Male—Crown, which is slightly crested, back and tail glossy black ; neck behind, greater wing-coverts and some of the inner quills rich chestnut, outer primaries slaty, tipped with rufous; other wing-coverts brownish-yellow ; under-parts, including the front and sides of the neck buffy-yellow and white, with narrow streaks of darker ; a dark maroon patch on either side of the breast; iris yellow, bill yellow, darker on the culmen, legs greenish-yellow. Length 14; wing 4-8; tail 1-85; culmen 1-80; tarsus 1-75. The female has the black of the crown and back replaced by a rich, dark glossy-chestnut, more dusky on the former; a pale buffy stripe along the outer borders of the scapulars is very conspicuous. Distribution From, New Brunswick and northern California south- wards to the West Indies and Brazil; aresident in the southern United States and southwards ; a summer bird only north of this. The Least Bittern is a rare summer resident in Colorado; about eight instances of its occurrence are recorded, but it is probably less rare than is generally supposed, as it is seldom seen owing to its skulking and nocturnal habits. It was first reported by Cooke on the strength of an example taken near Colorado Springs, now in the Aiken collection. This, and a second one found alive, but injured, in a yard in Colorado Springs, June 18th, 1907, are now in the Museum of Colorado College. Other records given by Cooke are: near Denver, reported by H. G. Smith; Berkeley Lake near Denver, June 8th, 1898, shot by R. Borcherdt; Middle Park, August 5th, 1897, W. A. Sprague ; South Park, May 14th, 1875, Carter ; and Wet Mountain Valley, A. D. Baker. Habits—Even more retiring and secretive than the American Bittern, this little species inhabits the most inaccessible and densely grown-up swamps and marshes. It has a habit of climbing up and clinging motionless to stout rushes, with its neck stretched out and its bill pointed up, when it is almost entirely invisible. G 82 Birds of Colorado There is a clutch of five eggs of this bird in the Colorado College Museum, presented by I. C. Hall. They were taken by the donor near Greeley on June Ist, 1903. The nest is described as a platform of rushes among cat-tails, about ten inches above the level of the shallow water. The eggs, oval and white with a pale blue tinge, measure 1°20 x ‘90. This, so far as I know, is the only instance of a nest being found in Colorado, and I have every confidence in the correctness of the identification. Genus ARDEA. Large birds—wings 18 to 21—with a long, straight, pointed beak, about two-thirds the length of the tarsus ; tail short of twelve feathers ; legs long, the lower third, at least, of the tibio-tarsus bare ; tarsus longer than the middle toe and claw; head with two long plumes in the breeding season; feathers of the fore-neck and scapulars elongated, but not decomposed. A universally spread genus of about a dozen species, with only one commonly known in North America. Great Blue Heron. Ardea herodias. A.O.U. Checklist no 194—Colorado Records—Aiken 72, p. 209; Nash 83, p. 225; Drew 85, p. 18; Morrison 89, p. 166; Cooke 97, pp. 18, 61, 157, 197 ; Dille 03, p. 74; Henderson 03, p. 234; 07, p. 162 ; 09, p. 227; Markman 07, p. 155 ; Rockwell 08, p. 158 ; Warren 09, p. 13. Description.—Adult—Top of the head white bordered by black, and with a black occipital crest, which bears two or more long slender plumes in the breeding season ; neck purplish-grey, with a mixed white, black and rusty throat line, becoming white on the chin and cheeks ; shoulders and under-parts chiefly black, striped with white ; upper-parts bluish- grey, becoming black on the primaries ; tibial feathering and edge of the wing chestnut ; iris yellow, bill yellow, darker along the culmen, feet blackish. Length about 45; wing 19-25; tail 7-5; culmen 6-0; tarsus 7-25, The female is smaller—wing about 18-25. In the non-breeding plumage the long occipital plumes are absent and the scapulars are not lengthened and lanceolate. The young birds have no lengthened feathers, the whole crown is black, and the colours generally paler and less distinct. ‘NOSMAGNGH tVOLN aHEL NO NOUWAH ood Vad) Gib ao ANOTOO-DNILSAN {LL OL Great Blue Heron 83 Distribution.—From Alaska and Labrador south through the West Indies and Central America to Venezuela; a summer resident only, north of the middle states ; south of this, a resident. The Great Blue Heron is found throughout Colorado on migration and breeds in suitable localities, chiefly in the north-eastern part of the State, but also in the mountain parks up to about 8,000 feot. It arrives from the south about the second week of April. Frey saw one at Salida as early as March 30th. It has been observed nesting on the Cache la Poudre Creek near Fort Collins (Cooke), at Windsor (Hall), on Crow Creek, north-west of Greeley (Markman), on the St. Vrain near Lyons, in Boulder co. (Henderson), near Barr (Rockwell & Hersey), in Middle Park by Carter, and in Wet Mountain Valley at about 8,000 feet, by Baker (Cooke). In Mesa co. on the western slope it appears to be common up to 9,000 feet, but has not been found breeding ; while Aiken observed it on one occasion as late as November 27th near Divide in Teller co., at about 9,000 feet. Habits.—This large Heron, often mis-called the “ Blue Crane,” is chiefly met with along the larger rivers and lakes; here it can often be seen standing motionless in the shallows, in a somewhat stilted attitude, watching intently for small fishes or frogs, which it quickly snaps up. The flight though powerful is rather heavy and leisurely, the neck crooked and the head drawn back between the shoulders and the legs stretched out behind. They are solitary birds, except during the breeding season, when they generally nest m commu- nities, called heronries. The nest is usually placed in high trees, but sometimes in bushes or on the ground or among the rocks. In Colorado the higher cotton-woods along the rivers and creeks are usually chosen. A set of four eggs of this Heron was presented to the Colorado College Museum by I. C. Hall. They were taken from a heronry of about 200 nests in high cotton- wood trees near Windsor on the Cache la Poudre River. The nests were thirty feet up, and were made of small twigs put solidly together. The eggs were taken May G2 84 Birds of Colorado 11th, and incubation was somewhat advanced. They are oval in shape, pale greenish-blue in colour and measure 2°60 x 1°80 Heronries are occasionally entirely broken up by a severe hailstorm. Such a disaster occurred to a colony near Lyons in Boulder co., in July 1907; the ground under the trees was covered with dead birds. Genus HERODIAS. Closely resembling Ardea, but smaller, wing 16—17; plumage white throughout, with a train of decomposed scapulars developed in the breeding season ; no occipital crest. One species only in North America. American Egret. Herodias egretta. A.O.U. Checklist no 196—Colorado Records—Aiken 00, p. 298; Cooke 97, p. 197. Description.—Adult—Plumage entirely white ; a train of long, decom- posed plumes from the scapulars extending ten to twelve inches beyond the tail when fully developed ; no lengthened feathers on the head and neck ; iris and bill yellow, legs black. Length 39-5; wing 14-75; tail 6-25; culmen 4:5; tarsus 6-5. The female is slightly smaller—wing 14. After the breeding season the long plumes are lost. Young birds have a black bill and no long plumes. Distribution—The southern United States and the Pacific slope from Oregon south to Patagonia and the West Indies; a straggler north as far as Nova Scotia and Manitoba. The only notice of this species in Colorado is that of Aiken, who states: “‘On May 12th, 1900, Mr. A. Gruber and Mr. F. Cikanck, taxidermists in my employ, reported seeing a single bird in a tall cotton- wood tree five miles south of Colorado Springs. As they are familiar with this species as well as with the more common Snowy Heron, there appears no reason to doubt their identification.”” Hersey informs me he has one in his collection, taken at Barr in June, 1905. Genus EGRETTA, Resembling Herodias, but smaller, wing 9-5—11-5; plumage white with an occipital crest, and the dorsal train of decomposed feathers slightly recurved at the tips. Only one North American species. Snowy Egret 85 Snowy Egret. gretta candidissima. A.O.U. Checklist no 197—Colorado Records—Hersey 76, p. 430; Morrison 89, p. 166; H. G. Smith 96, p. 65 ; Cooke 94, p. 183 ; 97, pp. 61, 157, 198 ; Henderson 03, p. 2345; 09, p. 227; Warren 06, p. 19; 08, p. 20; 09, p. 13; Cary 09, p. 180; Hersey & Rockwell 09, p. 114. Description.—Plumage white throughout, with decomposed plumes on the occiput, lower-neck and scapulars, the latter recurved when perfect ; iris bare, space on face and toes yellow, bill, legs and claws black. Length 24-0; wing 11-0; tail 4-0; culmen 3-5; tarsus 4-0. The adults after the breeding season lack the decomposed plumes. Distribution.—From Long Island and Oregon south through the West Indies and Central America to the Argentine ; breeding throughout its range, but only a summer resident in the middle states. In Colorado the Snowy Egret is 4 somewhat scarce summer bird. It was first noticed by J. C. Hersey, who reported the capture of a solitary specimen in a small lake thirty miles north-west of Denver, May 4th, 1876. It is less uncommon than usually supposed, but has not yet been found breeding. L. T. Hersey and Rockwell noticed it at Barr or several occasions in April, May and June, but failed to find the nest. It is chiefly met with along the eastern base of the mountains, but has been taken as high as Twin Lakes and Lead- ville, and was also on the western slopes at Glenwood (Carter). Other recorded localities are, near Denver (H. G. Smith), Loveland, Fort Collins and Pueblo (Cooke), Colorado Springs (Aiken), Salida, spring and fall (Frey), Kremmling and Coventry (Warren), while there is an example in the Aiken collection taken at Howbert in South Park, May Ist, 1904, at about 8,600 feet. Cary notes it from White River P.O. and La Veta. Habits.—In the south, where they were formerly found in great numbers, the Snowy Egrets were social birds, roosting and breeding in large assemblies, generally in bushes over the water, and scattering during the day to obtain their food—small fishes, frogs or aquatic insects. In Colorado, however, they are never very abundant, and only an occasional wanderer is to be found in the neighbourhood of lakes and rivers. This and the Snowy Egret are the birds which have suffered chiefly at the hands of the plume-hunters, owing to the demand for “ aigrettes,” which are made 86 Birds of Colorado up from the decomposed plumes developed only in the breeding season. Both birds were formerly to be found in millions in Florida and along the Gulf coast; now, except in a few specially protected United States bird- reservations, the care of which has been assumed by the National Audubon Society, they are practically ex- terminated. Genus DICHROMANASSA. Egrets of medium size, wing 12—14, with very short toes, the middle one barely half the length of the tarsus; feathers of the head and neck slightly elongated and a dorsal train in breeding season ; plumage dichromatic with two distinct colour phases independent of age, sex or season. One North American species. Reddish Egret. Dichromanassa rufescens. A.O.U. Checklist no 198—Colorado Records—Cooke 97, pp. 61, 157. Description.—Adult, dark phase—Head and neck rufous-chestnut glossed with vinaceous ; rest of the plumage dark slaty ; decomposed plumes from the interscapular region reaching beyond the tail; iris white, bill flesh-coloured, terminal two-thirds black ; legs blue-black. Length 31; wing 13-5; tail 4-5; culmen 4-0; tarsus 6-0. In the white phase the plumage is white throughout with a slight speckling of grey on the primaries. Young birds of either phase are similar, but without the decomposed plumes. Distribution.—Florida, the Gulf states, and Lower California south to Guatemala and the West Indies ; a casual wanderer north to Illinois and Colorado. There is a single example—a young bird of the dark phase—in the Aiken collection, taken in 1875 near Colorado Springs. Another is said by Cooke to have been shot by E. L. Berthoud near Golden in about 1890. These are the only known occurrences in the State. Genus BUTORIDES. Small Herons with wings under 8-0; bill moderate, longer than the tartus ; tail with twelve feathers; an occipital crest of lengthened, lanceolate, but not decomposed, feathers; upper-parts glossy green. A wide-spread genus, found all over the New World, and most of the Old except Europe and Northern Asia. Only one species in North America. Green Heron 87 Green Heron. Butorides virescens. A.O.U. Checklist no 201—Colorado record—Cooke 09, p. 314. Description.—Crown, with a long, soft crest, and lengthened, narrow feathers of the back lustrous green; wing-quills and tail dusky greenish with a narrow white edge to the wing ; coverts green with tawny edgings; neck rich purplish-chestnut with the throat-line variegated dusky and white; below mostly brownish-ash with white on the belly ; iris and eyelids bright yellow, bill greenish-black, feet dull yellowish-green. Length 12; wing 7-0; tail 2-5; culmen 2.45 ; tarsus 2-05. Distribution. Temperate North America, from Oregon and Ontario south thorough the West Indies and Central America as far as Brazil. Though not uncommon in Kansas, this little Heron has only recently been met with in Colorado. Edward A. Preble of the Biological Survey took one at Loveland, July 23rd, 1895. It has probably been overlooked and should not be really rare. Genus NYCTICORAX. Birds of medium size, wing 12—13, with a short neck, stout and somewhat compressed bill; the culmen, tarsus and middle toe with claw, all being approximately equal; tail short, of twelve feathers ; tibio-tarsus feathered except for about half an inch; no elongated or decomposed plumes except those on the occiput. A cosmopolitan genus with eight or nine species ; only one in, North America. Black-crowned Night Heron. Nycticorax nycticorax nevius. A.0.U. Checklist no 202—Colorado Records—H. G. Smith 87, p. 285 ; 96, p. 65 5 08, p. 185; Morrison 89, p. 166 ; Cooke 94, p. 183; 97, pp. 19, 61, 198 ; Dille 03, p. 74 ; Henderson 03, p. 234; 09, p. 227; Markman, 07, p. 155 ; Rockwell 08, p. 159, 10, p. 113. Description. Adult—Crown and nape, centre of back and scapulars glossy greenish-black ; rest of the upper-parts pale lavender-grey ; below, including the forehead, sides of the face and neck, white ; two or three long filimentous plumes, generally white, from the occiput ; iris red, bill black, legs yellow. Length 26-0; wing 12-5; tail 4-75; culmen, 3-15; tarsus 3-20. The female is smaller—wing 11-5; after the breeding season the occipital plumes are lost. The young birds are greyish-brown, with paler edges to some of the feathers, and spotted conspicuously with white ; the crown darker, the under-parts paler, streaked with dusky and buffy. 88 Birds of Colorado Distribution.—From New Brunswick and Manitoba south through the West Indies and Central America to Brazil and Peru ; breeding through- out its range ; a resident from the southern states southwards. In Colorado the Night Heron is a migrant and a summer resident, and is not uncommon ; it is chiefly met with in the north-east part of the State, along the Platte and its affluents, but also goes up into the mountain parks. It was found breeding at San Luis Lakes by Aiken many years ago, and has been taken in Middle and South Parks by Carter. It is rarer on the western slope where it was seen near Grand Junction, August 22nd, 1904, by Sullivan (Rockwell), while Gilmore met with it at Sweetwater Lake. It reaches Colorado towards the end of April. Smith reports an example taken at Fort Lupton between December 20th and 24th, 1902. It is possible, therefore, that some birds may winter. Additional records are: Fort Collins, breeding (Cooke), Boulder co. (Henderson), Barr Lake (Smith 08,and Hersey & Rockwell) Colorado Springs and Limon (Aiken). Habits.—-The Night Heron is a somewhat social bird especially in the breeding season, when they nest together in large heronries in marshes—sometimes in trees, some- times in bushes, or even on the ground. They are rather silent birds except for a guttural “ Qua,” whence they get the common name of “ Qua-bird.” Their food consists of small fishes, frogs and other aquatic animals, and is obtained by wading slowly and with considerable dignity through the shallows, and except when the young require constant attention, is chiefly sought at dusk. The eggs, generally four, are of the usual greenish- blue colour and average 2,0 x 1°50. Rockwell (10) has recently published an interesting series of photographs and notes on the breeding of this bird in the Barr swamps. Genus NYCTANASSA. Resembling Nycticoraz in shape, but with a much longer tarsus, easily exceeding the culmen and the middle toe and claw, which are approximately equal; a dorsal train of partly decomposea feathers. Only one species is assigned to this genus. ss] \LSAN WOUA SNOWUAH-LHDIN DNOOXR ‘ATA OL HOONONA GTO LSA ‘NOUAH HATA Lvaue oud ‘ypenyoy “g “a\ G ORIG Yellow-crowned Night Heron 89 Yellow-crowned Night Heron. Nyctanassa violacea. A.O.U. Checklist no 203—Colorado Records—Ridgway 79, p. 233; Cooke 97, p. 62; Warren 09, p. 33. Description.—Adult—Crown and a stripe behind the eye white, tinged with tawny ; rest of the head all round black; general colour above and below greyish-blue, the feathers of the wings and scapulars with darker centres and paler edges; an occipital crest of 2 to 3 narrow filamentous plumes, and the scapulars elongated, lanceolate and partly decomposed; iris yellow, bill and legs black. Length 24; wing 12-25; tail 4-75; culmen 2-9; tarsus 3-8. The female is slightly smaller, wing 11-0; w young bird is greyish- brown streaked and spotted with buffy, below streaked brown and white, crown black, streaked with white or buffy. Distribution.—From South Carolina, southern, Illinois and Lower California south through the West Indies and Central America to Brazil; casually further north. In Colorado the Night Heron is a very rare straggler; there was an adult male in Mrs. Maxwell’s collection known to have been, killed in Colorado, and this constituted the only record until recently, when J. W. Frey obtained a single female out of w bunch of five on the Arkansas River just above Salida, May Ist, 1908. This specimen, reported by Warren, was presented by him to the Colorado College Museum. ORDER PALUDICOLA. This order contains the Cranes and Rails of our fauna, together with several other families which do not here concern us. It is such a varied assortment that it is quite incapable of definition by anatomical characters— still less so by external characters, and a reference must be made to the diagnoses of the two families. Key oF THE Famities AND GENERA. A. Larger birds; wing over 15; toes short and webbed at the base ; hind toe set well above the others (Grucde). Grus, p. 90. B. Smaller birds; wing under 10; toes long, slender, not webbed, but sometimes lobed (Rallide). a. Toes simple, no lateral marginal lobes. al Bill longer; culmen exceeding middle toe and claw. Rallus, p. 93. 90 Birds of Colorado b! Bill shorter ; culmen less than the middle toe and claw. a® No frontal shield. a’ Larger; wing over 4; nostrils about the middle of the bill. Porzana, p. 95. b? Smaller; wing under 3; nostrils nearer the base of the bill. Creciscus, p. 96. b? A frontal shield on the front part of the head. Gallinula, p. 97. b. Toes with w series of lateral marginal lobes; a frontal shield present. Fulica, p. 97. Family GRUIDZ. The Cranes are large birds with long legs and necks ; the bill is long and generally exceeds the length of the head; part of the face is generally naked and often wattled or papillose ; there are twelve tail-feathers and eleven primaries, and the trachea or windpipe is generally convoluted and packed away in a hollow space formed between the walls of the keel of the sternum ; the legs are long, the tarsi scutellate in front, the toes short and webbed at the base; the hallux very short and elevated above the other toes. The Cranes are externally not unlike the Storks, with which they were formerly often associated, but they differ very essentially in internal structure. Externally they may be distinguished by the grooving of the bill, in which are situated the nostrils, and by the elevation of the hallux above the toes. Genus GRUS. The characters of the family, to which may be added—plumage white or grey in the adult, rusty in the young; head more or less bare of feathers and not crested. All the three North American, species have been taken in Colorado. Key oF THE SPECIES, A. Plumage white, primaries black. G. americana, p. 91. B. Plumage slaty-grey. a. Larger; wing 21—22. G. mexicana, p. 92. b. Smaller; wing 18—19, G. canadensis, p. 91. Whooping Crane o1 Whooping Crane. Grus americana. A.O.U. Checklist no 204—Colorado Records—Aiken 72, p. 209; Morrison 89, p. 166; Cooke 97, pp. 18, 62; Felger 09, p. 286. Description. Adult—-Plumage pure white, except the primaries, their coverts, and the alula, which are black ; iris yellow; bill dusky- greenish ; bare skin of head which runs back to a point on the occiput, and also on to the cheeks below the eyes, carmine ; legs black. Length about 50; wing 24; tail9-0 culmen 6 ; tarsus 12. A young bird has the head feathered and the plumage varied with rusty-brown. Distribution.—Breeding chiefly from Iowa to Saskatchewan ; migrat- ing south along the Mississippi Valley to Central Mexico. In Colorado the Whooping Crane was formerly, perhaps, more common. Aiken, thirty-five years ago, noted it as ‘‘ occasional on migration,’ but it now seems to be very rare, and I only find two definite records of its occurrence. W.G. Smith observed it at Loveland, April 8th to 16th. There is a moulted specimen in the Museum at Fort Collins, but it is not definitely stated by Cooke where it was obtained. Little Brown Crane. Grus canadensis. A.O.U. Checklist no 205—Colorado Records—Thorne 87, p. 264; Cooke 94, p. 183; 97, pp. 62, 198. Description.—_Resembling in every respect the Sandhill Crane (G. mexicana) but considerably smaller. Length 36; wing 19-5; tail 7-75 ; culmen, 4-40; tarsus 8-5. Distribution.— Breeding far north, from Alaska to Hudson Bay, migrating south through Colorado to Texas and Mexico. Most of the Colorado references to this species really belong to the Sandhill, as the two birds have often been confused. The Little Brown Crane, however, passes through Colorado on migration. It was taken by Captain Thorne at Fort Lyon ; there is a mounted example in the Museum at Fort Collins and also one in the collection of Mr. A. T. Allen, taken near Denver (Cooke), while Aiken tells me he had two brought to him, March 27th and 28th, 1900, which had been killed close to Colorado Springs. In the State Historical Society’s collection at Denver there is a male, killed at Hooper, Costilla co., March 27th, 1906, by J. L. Wolfe, and a female from Magnolia, Arapahoe co., about fifteen miles east of Denver, taken by H. Todenwarth. The stomach of the former example contained ‘‘ about half-a-pint of wheat.” C. S. Thompson informs me of the capture of an example at Edwards, Eagle co., April Ist, 1903. This is apparently the first record for the western slope. 92 Birds of Colorado Sandhill Crane. Grus mexicana. A.O.U. Checklist no 206—Colorado Records—Baird 54, p. 14 (G. canadensis); Aiken 72, p. 109; Henshaw 75, p. 467; Drew 81, p. 142; 85, p. 18; Nash 83, p. 225; Beckham 85, p. 144; Morrison 88, p. 140; 89, p. 167; Cooke 97, pp. 62, 198; Warren, 04, p. 39; 09, p- 13; Rockwell 08, p. 159. Description.—Adult—General colour above and below slaty-grey, more or less washed with rusty ; chin, cheeks and throat rather paler, primaries more dusky ; iris crimson, bill blackish, the bare skin of the head, which runs back to form a more or less straight line transversely on the occiput, and hardly extends on to both cheeks, reddish; legs blackich. Length about 48; wing 21; tail 10-0; culmen 5.25; tarsus 9-0. Young birds have the head feathered and « much stronger rusty wash, which however is not lost till after maturity. Distribution.—Southern Canada south to Florida and Central Mexico, not in the eastern states north of Georgia ; wintering along the Gulf and in Mexico ; breeding locally elsewhere. The Sandhill Crane is not a very rare bird in Colorado; it breeds chiefly in the mountain parks from 7,000 to 9,500 feet, and migrates south in winter. It is stated by Cooke to winter in the Rio Grande Valley, whence it was first taken in the State by Capt. Gunnison in 1853 (Baird); but the bulk at any rate of these birds spend a month or so there only, in autumn and spring, on their way further south and north. It has been observed breeding in the Animas Parks at 7,000 feet by Drew, in Middle Park by Carter, in Routt co. by Cooke, and in Mesa co. by Rockwell, while Warren found it nesting in the north-west corner of Gunnison co., at about 8,000 feet. This is a bird which is soon driven away by closer settlement, and it was no doubt formerly much more abundant. Other records are, Barr Lake (Hersey & Rockwell), Pueblo (Nash), La Plata co. (Morrison), and Wet Mountain Valley (Baker apud Cooke). Habits.—The Sandhill, like other Cranes, prefers an open, treeless country where it can see the approach of enemies from afar. If alarmed it springs up into the air and flies heavily away, giving out its powerful and sonorous cry, which is also often heard when the birds are migrating, far overhead. Cranes are also very remarkable for their dances and antics during the breeding season ; they bow low and Virginia Rail 93 leap, droop their wings, and skip and work themselves into a great state at this time. Warren (04) found a nest on an island in a small lake in north-western Gunnison co., at an elevation of 8,000 feet, on June 5th, 1903; the nest was placed on a tussock of grass, and was merely a flat platform about two feet across, chiefly composed of swamp-grass; on this platform lay two large eggs. These are light greenish- brown in colour, blotched all over with reddish-brown, rather more thickly towards the larger end of the egg, though in shape they are almost elliptical. They average 3°98 x 2°44. Family RALLIDA, The Rails and Coots, which constitute this family, are marsh or water birds of retiring habits, running through and skulking in grass and reeds. The face is always feathered, the tail is generally very short, and contains ten to fourteen rectrices; the legs are rather short and the lower portion of the tibia is always bare of feathers; all the toes are long and slender, and the hind toe is jointed at a higher level than the others. Genus RALLUS. Bill long and slender, the culmen longer than the middle toe and claw ; no frontal shield ; nostrils in a long groove near the base of the bill; tail short, less than half the length of the wing; tarsus shorter than the middle toe and claw. A cosmopolitan genus, containing the Water Rails; some eight species and subspecies are recognized in North America. Virginia Rail. Rallus virginianus. A.O.U. Checklist no 212—Colorado Records—Aiken 72, p. 210; Henshaw 75, p. 468; Beckham, 85, p. 144; 87, p. 124; Morrison 89, p. 166 ; Cooke 97, pp. 18, 63, 158, 198 ; Henderson 03, p. 234 ; 09, p. 227. Description. Above dusky brown, the feathers of the back edged with olive-brown ; sides of the face ashy-grey, darker round the eye ; 94 Birds of Colorado chin white, becoming pale rufous on the breast ; thighs, abdomen and under tail-coverts ashy-black, barred with white ; wing-coverts chestnut, forming a patch; iris red, bill dusky, paler on the lower mandible, feet yellowish-brown. Length 9-0; wing 4-25; tail 1-6; culmen 1-55; tarsus 1-5. The female is slightly smaller—wing 3-90; young birds have the plumage much mottled with black, but the chestnut wing-patch is always present. Distribution.—Breeding throughout temperate North America from Labrador and Vancouver Island, south throughout the United States ; wintering in the southern United States and south to Guatemala and Cuba. In Colorado the Virginia Rail, though seldom seen, appears to be a fairly common summer resident in the eastern plains, extending up into the parks to about 8,000 feet. I have not heard of it on the western slopes, though, as it is found in Utah, it probably occurs. It arrives from the south about the second week in April—Loveland, April 9th (H. G. Smith)}—and breeds where suitable conditions exist. Apparently a few birds occasionally winter in the State, as an example was brought to Aiken, February 16th, 1899, which was taken at a spring a few miles from Colorado Springs, and this was at the end of one of the coldest spells known for many years. Mr. J. C. Hersey informs me that a few spend the winter at Barr Lake every year, where it also nests quite, commonly. Breeding records are: Loveland and Fort Collins (Cooke) Boulder co., plains (Gale), Fountain and San Luis Lakes (Aiken) ; other records are—Pueblo, May 20th and November 3rd (Beckham), Wet Mountain Valley (Cooke). Habits.—Like all Rails this species is a timid, skulking bird, hiding in the thick reed-beds of swamps and marshes both fresh and salt, and more often heard than seen. It has a kind of grunting note, heard most frequently in the evening or at night when it is more active than in the middle of the day. The Virginia Rail walks with a very deliberate step, with its short tail cocked up, and presents rather a ludicrous appearance. The nest is placed on the ground, usually in wet, boggy places, and is composed of rushes and swamp-grasses woven together ; it is sometimes fixed on a dry tussock, and is generally carefully concealed. A clutch of twelve eggs, taken by I. C. Hall near Greeley, June Ist, 1903, Sora Rail 95 and presented by him to the Colorado College Museum, were slightly incubated. They are pale creamy-white with scattered spots and specks of reddish-brown and a very pale lilac, and average 1:25 x ‘90. Gale’s nest only contained seven eggs—it was taken May 27th, and the eggs were badly incubated. Genus PORZ ANA. Bill short and compressed, the culmen less than the middle toe and claw, nostrils linear oval, about the middle of the bill ; tail very short as in Rallus ; tarsus shorter than the middle toe and claw 3 toes not webbed. An almost cosmopolitan genus, but as now restricted, with only one North American species. Sora. Porzana carolina. A.O.U. Checklist no 214—Colorado Records—Ridgway 73, p. 187; Morrison 89, p. 167 ; Cooke 97, pp. 63,199; Henderson 03, p. 107 ; 09, p. 227; Warren 08, p. 20; Felger 09, p. 86; Hersey & Rockwell 09, p. 114, Description.—Male—General colour above olive-brown, most of the feathers with black centres and very characteristic, dead-white edges to others ; crown, face in front of eye, chin, and a narrow throat-patch black; rest of the head and breast ashy-grey ; lower-breast white, tinged with rufous towards the under tail-coverts; sides and under wing-coverts barred black and white ; iris brown, bill greenish, rather orange at the base in the breeding season, legs greenish. Length 6-75 ; wing 4-25; tail1-5; culmen -85; tarsus 1-25. The female is slightly smaller—wing 4:0; a young bird has no black or ashy on, the face or neck; the chin is white and the throat and breast washed with rufous. Distribution.—Breeding from Newfoundland and British Columbia south over most of the United States; wintering from South Carolina and the Gulf States to the West Indies and northern South America. The Sora is quite a common summer resident in Colorado in suitable localities, breeding from, the plains up to about 9,000 feet in the valley of the Blue River (Carter), but chiefly in north-east Colorado. It has been reported from Boulder co. (Henderson), Barr, where is nests plentifully (Hersey & Rockwell), Lay, in Rout co., probably breeding (Warren), Colorado Springs (Aiken) and Salida (Colo. Coll. Mus.), and is probably common elsewhere. Felger found, on September 2nd, 1903, 96 Birds of Colorado a dead bird of this species near the terminal moraine of the Arapahoe glacier in Boulder co., at an elevation of about 12,500 feet. This was probably an accidental occurrence. Habits.—This little Rail is very abundant in the swamps of the Atlantic states, where large numbers are killed by gunners for the restaurants, and it is known as the “‘Ortolan.” In their habits they are not very different from the Virginia Rail, though more often found in meadow-lands and on cultivated ground. A set of seven eggs taken at Greeley on June Ist, 1903, by I. C. Hall and presented by him to the Colorado College Museum, are quite distinct from those of the Virginia Rail. They are drab with a few large blotches and round spots of purplish and reddish-brown; in shape they are rather more pointed and they average 1:25 x °91. Gale notes that fresh eggs are found about May 15th, at 5,500 feet, and about July 5th, at 10,000 feet. A nest with fourteen eggs, collected by Bragg north-east of Boulder, June 7th, 1904, is in the University of Colorado Museum. Genus CRECISCUS. Hardly differing from Porzana, except that the bill is more slender and acute, and that the nostrils are nearer the baseof the bill than the tip. Two closely allied species are recognized in the last supplement of the A.O.U. Checklist, from eastern and western North America respectively. Black Rail. Creciscus jamatcensis. A.0.U. Checklist no 216—Colorado Record—Cooke 97, p. 158. Description.—Adult—Above blackish, nape and shoulders dark reddish-brown, back and wings spotted with white; below slaty-grey, darker and cross-barred with white on the abdomen and under wing- coverts ; iris red, bill black, feet greenish. Length 5; wing 2-95; tail 1:35; culmen -53; tarsus -89. Young birds are paler below, especially on the throat, and the crown is brownish rather than blackish. Florida Gallinule 97 Distribution.—The eastern United States from Massachusetts and Kansas southwards to Jamaica and Cuba, but always a rare bird. The claim of the Black Rail to be included in the Colorado list rests on the statement of Mr. David Bruce of Brockport, N.Y., that he once shot a specimen in May at » pond near Denver. Like all Rails, it is a skulking bird, and is probably not nearly so rare as is generally supposed. It is known to breed in Kansas. Genus GALLINULA. Bill short, stout and rather compressed, running directly back into a frontal shield on the fore-part of the head ; nostrils elongated ovals near the middle of the bill; tarsus shorter than the middle toe and claw ; toes with a narrow lateral membrane, but not webbed or lobed. A widely distributed genus in the Old and New Worlds, with one North American, species; occurring but seldom in Colorado. Florida Gallinule. Gallinula galeata. A.O.U. Checklist no 219—Colorado Records—Allen & Brewster 83, p. 198; Morrison 89, p. 167; Cooke 97, pp. 63, 158. Description.—Head, neck and under-parts greyish-black; darkest on, the head, whitening on the abdomen; back brownish-olive; wings and tail dusky; outer web of outer primary, a few stripes on the flanks and under tail-coverts, white ; iris red or brown, bill and frontal shield red, the former tipped with yellow ; legs greenish with a red ring round the tibia. Length 14:0; wing 6-8; tail3-0; tarsus 2-2; culmen 1-10, with frontal shield 1-75. The young have no red on the bill or legs, the frontal shield is undeveloped, and the under-parts are more extensively white. Distribution. From Ontario, Minnesota and California south through the West Indies and Central America to the Argentine. The Florida Gallinule is hardly known in Colorado; it can only be considered a rare straggler. Allen and Brewster saw one in the flesh in Colorado Springs on May 9th, and E. L. Berthoud informed Cooke he had seen one on Lathrop Lake, near Golden, in 1883. Genus FULICA. Resembling Gallinula generally as regards bill, frontal shield and wing, but the toes long and provided with a scalloped lateral membranous lobe on either side, corresponding to the individual phalanges. A cosmopolitan genus with one North American species. 98 Birds of Colorado American Coot. Fulica americana. A.O.U Checklist no 221—Colorado Records—Ridgway 73, p. 187; Henshaw 75, p. 469; Drew 85, p. 18; Morrison 89, p. 167 ; Cooke 97, pp. 18, 63, 199; Keyser 02, p. 145; Dille 03, p. 74; Henderson 03, p. 234, 09, p. 227; Warren 06, p. 19; 08, p. 20; 09, p. 13; Markman 07, p. 155; Richards 08, p. 38; Rockwell 08, p. 158; Hersey & Rockwell 09, p. 114. Description.—Adult—Dark ashy-grey above, paler below, darkening on the head and neck to blackish ; edge of the alula, outer edge of the outer web of the outer primary, tips of the secondaries and outer under- tail-coverts white; central under tail-coverts black ; iris carmine, bill white or fleshy with a spot of reddish-black near the tip and at the base of the frontal shield, legs yellowish-green. Length 14:0; wing 7-6; tail 1-75; culmen with frontal shield 1-70; tarsus 2-0. In winter the abdomen is whitish owing to white tips to the feathers ; young birds are duller and paler; they have the bill dingy and no frontal shield. Distribution.—From New Brunswick and British Columbia south- wards through the West Indies and Central America to northern South America. The American Coot or Mud-hen, as it is more familiarly termed, is » common summer resident in Colorado, breeding plentifully chiefly in the north-eastern plains region and in the mountain parks, but also at very considerable elevations, up to 10,000 feet at least. There is a nestling in the Aiken collection obtained by Aiken at California Gulch near Leadville, between 10,000 and 11,000 feet. It does not seem to be so abundant on the western slopes, where it is noted as not common both near Coventry (Warren) and in Mesa co. (Rockwell). It arrives from the south about the second half of March. I am told by Hersey that a certain number spend the winter at Barr Lake, while this is confirmed by Richards, who saw a Mud-hen at Littleton on Christmas Day, 1907. Other breeding records are Loveland (Gale), Greeley (Hall), Middle and South Parks (Carter), Buena Vista (Keyser), and San Luis Lake (Henshaw). Habits.—Coots somewhat resemble Gallinules in their habits, but they are more social in their ways, and fonder of open water. They like to swim about in small com- panies, nodding their heads in a characteristic fashion as they go, and are easily identified by their shiny-whity beaks. They rise from the water with considerable American Coot 99 difficulty, but when fairly in the air fly quite steadily and strongly, though they always prefer to avoid danger by hiding in the reeds. They are not very good divers. The American Coot nests in colonies among growing reeds in shallow or sometimes in deeper water. The nests which are only a few feet apart, are massive structures of interlaced weeds and rushes, generally floating and anchored among the growing reeds, and high enough out of the water to keep the eggs dry. The eggs, from eight to twelve in number, are pale drab fairly uniformly spotted and dotted with dark brown. A clutch of eight taken by I. C. Hall, May 26th, 1902, near Greeley, and presented to the Colorado College Museum, are rather rough and pointed, and measure 1:95 x 1°3. Gale found fresh eggs between June 5th and 20th about Loveland, while Henshaw states that by June 22nd they had hardly finished laying at San Luis Lakes. ORDER LIMICOLA. The birds included in this order are chiefly shore and marsh haunting forms, such as Snipes, Sandpipers, Plovers and their allies. The members of the order are characterized by a bill which is usually slender, and has a groove on each side with the nostril-opening near its base; the wings are generally long and there are always eleven primaries ; the legs, too, are generally long and have the lower part of the tibio-tarsus naked ; the toes are usually short and are three or four in number; the hind toe, if present, is jointed well up above the others; the anterior toes are fully webbed or not webbed, but most frequently partially webbed. The young birds when hatched, are clothed with down, and able to run about almost at once. H 2 100 Birds of Colorado KeEvy oF THE FAMILIES AND GENERA. A. Toes with a marginal web like a Coot (Phaleropodide). a. Marginal web scalloped at each joint. Lobipes, p. 101. b. Marginal web even and continuous, not scalloped. Steganopus, p. 102. B. Toes without a marginal web. a. Tarsus with reticulate scales before and behind. al Bill long, far longer than the head; without a dertrum (Recurvirostride). a? Bill flattened and up-curved. Recurvirostra, p. 104, b? Bill acute, slender and straight. Himantopus, p. 106. b Bill as long as, or less than, the head, ending in a hard convex swelling—the dertrum (Charadriide). a? A small hind-toe present. Squatarola, p. 130. b? No hind toe. a’ Upper-parts spotted, below black in summer. Charadrius, p. 131. b? Above plain coloured, below white. a* With black bands or patches on the fore-neck. a> Tail less than half the wing, nearly even. #gialitis, p. 134. b> Tail at least half the wing, strongly graduated. Oxyechus, p. 132. bf Without black bands or patches. Podosacys, p. 135. b. Tarsus with transverse scutes in front and _ behind (Scolopacida). al Hind toe present. a? Ear-opening below the eye. a® Three outer primaries attenuated. Philohela, p. 107. b® Three outer primaries normal. 2! Sixteen tail-feathers, plumage streaky. Gallinago, p. 109. bt Twelve tail-feathers, plumage mottled. Macrorhamphus, p. 111. b? Eer-opening behind the eye in the normal position. a® Toes cleft to the base, without webs. a? Bill about equal to the tarsus. Pisobia, p. 113. b‘ Bill distinctly longer than the tarsus. Pelidna, p. 116. b Toes always webbed to a greater or less extent. af Culmen distinctly shorter than the tarsus. a5 Tail long, about half the wing, graduated. Bartramia, p. 125. b® Tail short, less than half the wing, even. Totanus, p. 120. American Coot 101 b* Culmen approximately equal to the tarsus. a> Tail unbarred. a® Larger ; wing over 5-0, bill longer than the head. Micropalama, p. 112. bS Smaller; wing under 4.0, bill hardly as long as the head. Ereunetes, p. 117. b® Tail barred with dusky and white—on the outer feathers, at any rate. a® Larger; wing over 7. a’ A white patch on the wing and at the base of the tail. Catoptrophorus, p. 123. b? No white patches on wing and tail. Limosa, p. 119. b® Smaller ; wing under 6. a’ Axillaries and under wing-coverts banded, white and dusky ; lower breast plain, white. Helodromas, p. 122. b? Axillaries and under wing-coverts plain white, abdomen, spotted. Actitis, p. 126, b! Three toes only, without webs. Calidris, p. 118. ce. Tarsus with transverse scutes in front and reticulated at the sides and behind. al, Bill long and slender and down-curved. Numenius, p. 128. bl. Bill short, conical and straight (Aphrizide). Arenaria, p. 136. Family PHALEROPODID. The Phalaropes are a small family of birds, resembling the Sandpipers in general form and structure, except that their anterior toes are bordered by a well-developed marginal web, sometimes cut into lobes, as in the Coots and Grebes. The females are larger and more brightly coloured than the males and, as is generally the case under these circumstances, the latter perform the duties of incubation. Genus LOBIPES. Bill long and slender, though shorter than in Steganopus, tapering, acute and pointed, the culmen slightly exceeding or equal to the tarsus and middle toe and claw; tail short and rounded ; legs comparatively short, and only a short portion of the tibio-tarsus bare ; toes margined with a membrane scalloped at each joint; the middle and inner toe anited basally to the second joint, the middle and outer to the first joint. 102 Birds of Colorado Northern Phalarope. Lobipes lobatus. A.O.U. Checklist no 223—Colorado Records—Drew 81, p. 249; Morrison 88, p. 140; 89, p. 167; Cooke 97, pp. 19, 63, 199; Warren 08, p. 20; 09, p. 18; Henderson 09, p. 227; Felger 09, p. 287. Description.— Female in summer—Above dark slaty, becoming dusky on the wings and tail; back and scapulars with a few streaks of tawny ; a white wing-bar ; a large rusty patch on either side of the neck nearly meeting below ; under-parts chiefly white ; the sides of the breast and flanks marked with dusky; iris dark brown, bill and feet black. Length 7-5; wing 4-25; tail 2-0; culmen, -85; tarsus -75. The male is smaller and duller. In winter there is no rusty or tawny ; the upper-parts are grey or ashy, variegated with white edges; below throughout, including the forehead and a stripe above the eye, white ; a dusky stripe below the eye to the ear-coverts. Young birds are dusky above and often show buffy edges to the scapulars. Distribution.—Circumpolar, breeding far north in both hemispheres, wintering in north Africa and south Asiain the Old World. In America breeding from Alaska to Hudson Bay and Greenland, south in winter as far as Guatemala. In Colorado this species is only known as a migrant, passing through the State in May and returning in October. It crosses the mountains as well as the plains, and has been reported from Howardsville, 9,500 feet, May 22nd (Drew), Middle Park, May 26th, and Breckenridge (Carter), Coventry and near Steamboat Springs, June Ist (Warren), in the mountainous half of the State; in the plains from Colorado Springs, May 14th and 29th (Aiken coll.), Loveland, May Ist to 9th (Cooke), Barr Lake, May, September (Felger) and Boulder oo. (Henderson). Habits.—The Phalaropes are all more abundant along the coast than inland. They swim lightly and easily, picking among the floating debris for their food. The male undertakes the chief duties of incubation, and as is generally the case, this habit is correlated with smaller size and duller markings. Genus STEGANOPUS. Bill long and slender, slightly flattened and depressed, the culmen about equal to the tarsus, both clearly exceeding the middle toe and claw ; tailshort and doubly emarginate ; toes with an even, unscalloped marginal web, united basally only, not beyond the first joint in the case of the middle and inner ones. Wilson’s Phalarope 103 Wilson’s Phalarope. Steganopus tricolor. A.O.U. Checklist no 224—Colorado Records—Ridgway 73, p. 187; Morrison, 89, p. 167 ; Cooke 97, pp. 19, 63, 199 ; Henderson 08, p. 107 ; 09, p. 227; Markman 07, p. 156; Warren 09, p. 14; 10, p. 29; Hersey & Rockwell 09, p. 114. Description.—Female in summer—Crown ashy-grey, becoming white on, @ narrow stripe along the neck; a black band from the eye along the sides of the neck, becoming chestnut posteriorly and continued as scattered patches on to the scapulars; rest of the upper-parts slaty- grey, dusky brown on the wings; upper tail-coverts white; below white, the lower part of the neck and sides of the chest washed with rufous; iris dark brown, bill and legs black. Length 9-5; wing 5-1; tail 2-0; culmen 1-3; tarsus 1-2. The male is rather smaller—wing 4-8—and less brightly marked. In winter there is no black or rusty ; the upper-parts are pure ashy-grey edged with whitish ; below, the upper tail-coverts, line over the eye and forehead, white; breast and sides washed with dusky. Young birds are dusky brown above, the feathers edged with buffy-rufous ; below white, the breast and lower-neck washed with rufous. Distribution.—Breeding from the eastern slopes of the Rocky Mountains in Alberta, south to Utah and Illinois; south in winter as far as Patagonia. Wilson’s Phalarope is a fairly common migrant in Colorado, while a certain proportion, of the birds stop through the summer and breed in the north-east of the State along the lower Platte Valley, and perhaps at San Luis Lakes, whence there is a young bird of the year, taken July 10th, in the Aiken collection. Warren recently found it common, at Medano Ranch in June. In other parts of the State it is chiefly known as a migrant. It reaches Loveland about the last week of April. Breeding records are Fort Collins (Cooke), Loveland (Gale) ; Barr Lake (Hersey & Rockwell); on migration, Middle and South Parks (Carter), Salida, May 4th (Frey), Glenwood Spring (Cooke), and Coventry (Warren). Habits.—This Phalarope is almost always found near water, where they either swim about in a very buoyant manner or run in shallows and moist grass, picking up small mollusca and insects which form their food. Gale found three nests on June 19th, near Loveland; they consisted merely of a little depression in the ground near a lake, lined with a few grasses and contained four 104 Birds of Colorado eggs. He believed that a second brood was usual, and that the first eggs were laid about May 20th. On another occasion he watched a large number of these birds on a lake near Boulder. Some of the birds had paired and kept near the shore where they were busy feeding, but the larger number were swimming about in the centre of the lake. These he subsequently watched performing a series of aerial evolutions under the leadership of one bird—up, around and zigzagging to and fro across the lake. He believed that these birds were preparing to go further north. The eggs, usually four in number, are rather pyriform in shape; they are greenish or olive-brown, rather thickly spotted and blotched with sepia or blackish-brown, and measure 1°10 x 80. Family RECURVIROSTRIDZ. This small family comprises the Avocets and Stilts, characterized by their long legs and bills, which latter are either straight or up-tummed ; tarsus without scutes, covered with reticulate scales ; toes three or four, semi- palmate or nearly fully webbed. Genus RECURVIROSTRA. Bill long and pointed, much longer than the head, both mandibles flattened and up-curved towards the tips; legs long, the tarsus about twice the length of the middle toe and covered with reticulated scales all round ; hind toe small but clawed, front toes about half-webbed. A cosmopolitan genus of four species, only one of which is North American. American Avocet. Recurvirostra americana. A.O.U. Checklist no 225—Colorado Records—Aiken 72, p. 209; Coues 74, p. 460; Henshaw 75, p. 448; Drew 81, p. 18; Morrison 89, p. 167; Goss 91, p. 152; Cooke 97, pp. 18, 64, 199; Dille 03, p. 74; Henderson 03, p. 234; 09, p. 227; Markman 07, p. 156; Warren 09, p. 14. American Avocet 105 Description.—In summer—Head and neck all round pale cinnamon ; paling to white on the front of the face and below behind the breast ; lower-back and upper tail-coverts white; tail pearly-white; wings chiefly black with two longitudinal bands of white formed by tho edges of some of the coverts, secondaries and outer scapulars; iris pink or brown, bill black, legs dull blue. Length 17-0; wing 9-0.; tail 3-0; culmen 3-7 ; tarsus 3-7 ; but dimensions varying considerably. In winter the head and neck are pearly-grey. Young birds are like the summer adults, but have tawny edgings to the black feathers and @ more or less straight bill. Distribution.—Breeding chiefly from Alberta and Manitoba to south- western Texas ; in winter south as far as Guatemala, Cuba and Jamaica. In Colorado the Avocet is common on migration, and is also an abundant summer resident in suitable localities, breeding along the shores of the alkali lakes, in the South Platte valley of the north-east plains, and in the mountain parks up to about 8,000 feet. It nests abundantly at San Luis Lakes, where it was noticed by Aiken, Goss and Cooke, and also along the Arkansas near Fort Lyon (Coues) and in South Park (Carter), while Gale and W. G. Smith took nests near Loveland, and Rockwell and Hersey at Barr. Other records are: Arkansas River (Aiken) and Coventry (Warren), where, as seems always the case on the western, slope, it is not at all common. It is noted from Fort Lyon as early as March 28th, and from, Loveland, April 9th, and in the fall at Salida by Frey, September 26th. Habits.—The favourite resort of this Avocet are the alkaline lakes which are so abundant throughout the dry western districts of North America. Here it wades along in the shallow water, probing with its curiously shaped bill in the soft mud. It also swims with perfect ease and considerable grace, often alighting on the water from above. Where they have not been much molested they are not shy,and fill the air with their harsh cries when their breeding-places are being invaded. The nests are placed near the shores of the lakes, and consist of a slight depression lined with a few grasses or weeds. The eggs, generally four in number, are somewhat pyriform in shape, and olive-drab heavily blotched with purplish-brown in colour. They measure about 1:90 x 1°30, but vary considerably not only in 106 Birds of Colorado dimensions but in colour and shape. Dille gives June 12th as an average date for fresh eggs; Henshaw at San Luis Lakes found by June 2lst most of the eggs already hatched, but Goss took a clutch of four at the same place as late as July 5th. Genus HIMANTOPUS. Bill very long, slender and pointed, about twice as long as the middle toe and claw; tail short; legs very long, stretching far beyond the wings and tail; tarsus about three times the length of the middle toe and claw, covered with a fine network of hexagonal scales; hind toe absent, front toes moderate, basally webbed. An almost cosmopolitan genus with about seven species; only one is found in North America. Black-necked Stilt. Himantopus mexicanus. A.O.U. Checklist no 226—Colorado Records—Henshaw 75, p. 450; Drew 81, p. 18; Morrison 89, p. 167; Cooke 97, p. 64; Henderson 03, p. 234; 09, p. 227; Rockwell 08, p. 159; Felger 09, p. 287; Hersey & Rockwell 09, p. 115. Description.—Adult female—Above, including the crown, sides of the face round the eye, back of the neck, centre of the back and wings, glossy black ; below, including the front of the face, a spot above and behind the eye, rump and upper tail-coverts white; tail pearly-grey ; iris red, bill black, legs red drying yellow. Length 14:0; wing 8-5; tail 2-4; culmen 2:3; tarsus 3-9. The male is rather larger—wing 9-25; culmen 2-70. Young birds have the upper-parts ashy-brown, the feathers margined with buffy or whitish, and the tail with dusky markings. Distribution.—Breeding chiefly from Minnesota and Oregon to Florida and Texas, south in winter as far as Peru and the West Indies. The Stilt is apparently a rare bird in Colorado, except in the south. It was first found nesting in the State by Henshaw at the San Luis Lakes many years ago, and the only other definite notices of its occur- rence are those of Rockwell, who quotes Miss Eggleston to the effect that it is an irregular and rather rare migrant at Grand Junction, and cf Hersey and Rockwell who once saw it at Barr. Neither Gale, Carter nor G. W. Smith mentions it, nor does it appear to reach Wyoming. Henderson’s Boulder record seems a doubtful one, but there is an example in the State Historical Society’s Collection at Denver, shot near Fort Logan in April, 1899 (Felger). Black-necked Stilt 107 Habits.—Henshaw found the Stilt associating with the Avocet and closely resembling it in nearly every respect, except that it does not swim readily, though other observers state that it occasionally does take to deep water ; as its toes are not webbed and its legs very long, this is as one would expect. Notwithstanding its long legs it is a graceful bird, and flies well and strongly, with head partially drawn back and its legs extended behind. As already stated Henshaw found a single nest at the San Luis Lakes, June 21st; it resembled in every way that of the Avocet, and was merely a depression in the ground lined with grasses ; it contained four eggs resembling those of the Avocet but smaller; they measured 1°74 x 1°30. Family SCOLOPACIDZ. This is the most extensive family of the order and contains the Snipes and Sandpipers. The bill is long, nearly always exceeding the head, and is generally covered with soft, sensitive skin throughout, and never ends in the hard swelling or dertrum so characteristic of the Charadriide ; it is straight or slightly up- or down-curved ; nostrils exposed, generally near the base of the nasal groove, which extends for half or three-quarters the length of the bill; tail of twelve feathers (except Gallinago) ; tarsus always scutellate in front and, with the exception of Numenius, behind as well; four toes present except in Calidris, webbing variable. Genus PHILOHELA. . Bill long, straight and slender, covered with a soft and sensitive skin, and slightly swollen at the tip; culmen about twice the length of the tarsus; wings short and rounded, the three outer primaries attenuate and falcate and abruptly shorter than the fourth; tail short 108 Birds of Colorado and rounded of twelve feathers; legs short; tibio-tarsus feathered almost to the joint, the tarsus scutellated in front and behind; hind toe present, front toes without web ; eye very large and placed far back, the ear-opening below and slightly in front of it. This genus contains only one species, and is distinguished from that containing the Old World Woodcocks by the attenuation of the three outer primaries. American Woodcock. Philohela minor. A.O.U. Checklist no 228—Colorado Records—H. G. Smith 86, p. 283 ; 96, p. 65; Morrison 89, p. 167 ; Cooke 97, pp. 64, 158 ; Fisher 01, p. 447 ; Henderson 03, p. 234; 09, p. 227. Description.—Adult—Above mottled black, dusky brown and buffy ; hinder-part of crown black with narrow transverse bars of buff; primaries plain dusky ; below pale-rufous; iris dark brown, bill light brown, paler at the base, legs reddish-brown. Length 10-5; wing 5-25; tail 2-25; culmen 2-5; tarsus 1-25. The female is larger—wing 5-50, culmen 2-75. Distribution.—Southern Canada and the eastern United States from the Atlantic to Manitoba and eastern Texas, breeding throughout its range; wintering chiefly on the Atlantic and Gulf coasts. In Colorado the Woodcock is only known from the Platte Valley and from Denver along the foothills northwards, where it may be regarded as a scarce summer resident. It was first reported by H. G. Smith who saw an example in a gun-store in Denver, which was killed near the town about August 12th, 1885. Four or five additional specimens have been noticed from Denver or Boulder co., while Cooke reports that H. Horner observed w pair with three young ones, only about a week old, one of which was taken July 3rd, 1897, near Timmath; so there can be little doubt that, occasionally at any rate, it nests in Coloradce. Habits.—The Woodcock is a crepuscular bird, feeding chiefly at dusk and in the night, and keeping concealed during the day in thickets and rank grass. It inhabits marshy or moist country, and lives almost exclusively on worms which it draws out of the mud with its long and, sensitive bill. It has an enormous appetite—a Woodcock weighing Six ounces is said to consume at least its own weight in earth-worms in twenty-four hours. Owing to its Wilson’s Snipe 109 excellent flavour, it commands a high price as a game- bird, and has in consequence been nearly exterminated through the greater part of its range. The nest, a loose structure of grass and old leaves, is placed on the ground in a higher part of the swamp, out of reach of the rising water. The eggs, usually four in number, are buffy, mottled and spotted with reddish- brown, and measure about 1°60 x 1°16. They lay very early in the south, but judging from our only record, June 10th would be about the date in Colorado. Genus GALLINAGO. Resembling Philohela in most respects, but the ear-opening little further back below the middle of the eye and without attenuated primaries; tail short, rounded, of sixteen feathers in the American species ; markings on the head longitudinal rather than transverse. A nearly cosmopolitan genus with some twenty species; only one in North America. Wilson’s Snipe. Gallinago delicata. A.O.U Checklist no 230—Colorado Records—Aiken 72, p. 209 (G. wilsont); Scott 79, p. 96; Drew 81, p. 142; 85, p. 18; Thorne 83, p. 46; R.V.RB.S. 86, p. 5 ; Beckham 87, p. 121; Morrison 86, p. 107 ; 88, p. 189; 89, p. 167 ; Cooke 97, pp. 64, 158, 199 ; Henderson 03, p. 234 ; 09, p. 227; Rockwell 08, p. 159; Warren 09, p. 14; Dille 09, p. 86. Description.—Male—Above chiefly black, mottled “and variegated with buffy and white; crown black with a median, buffy stripe; ‘primaries and their coverts dusky, the outer one white-edged ; below, the breast speckled dusky and white, the abdomen pure white, the flanks and under wing-coverts barred black and white; tail-feathers sixteen in number, the outer ones barred with black ; iris brown, bill brown, paler at the base, greenish-grey in the flesh ; legs like the bill. Length 9-25 ; wing 4-80; tail 2-10; culmen 2-25; tarsus 1-25. The femalo is slightly larger—wing 5-25, culmen 2-5. Distribution.—Breeding from Alaska and Newfoundland to the most south in winter as far as the West Indies and northern South America, northerly row of the States and a little further south in the mountains ; though often wintering further north, even in Colorado and Wyoming. The Snipe is far from uncommon in Colorado; it is perhaps most common on migration when it is found all over the State; it is also 110 Birds of Colorado frequently to be met with during the winter where there are springs which remain unfrozen, both in the plains and the mountains up to 9,500 feet, at which elevation “‘ R.V.R.S.” saw two on the edge of the ice along the Animas River near Silverton, January 2nd, 1886. It is perhaps less common in summer, but has been found breeding in the mountain parks up to about 9,500 feet. Dille has recently stated that it nests in the plains about ten miles north-east of Boulder, and Hersey and Rockwell found one nest, June 20th, 1908, at Barr. The following are other breeding records: Middle Park at 9,000 feet, Sprague (Cooke), Twin Lakes (Scott), San Luis Lakes (Aiken), and San Juan, co. (Drew). In winter it has been reported from Boulder, just outside the city limits, by Henderson ; near Colorado Springs, where fairly common, by Aiken; Salida in January (Frey), Fort Lyon (Thorne), Sweetwater Lake by Gilmore and Routt co. by Bennet (Cooke), and Plateau Valley (Rockwell). Habits.—The Snipe is an unsocial bird, and is nearly always found solitary or perhaps with only one companion. It prefers open, moist ground where it can probe in the mud, with its long and soft, sensitive bill for worms, which form the greater part of its food. When flushed it rises very suddenly, with a startled cry of ‘“Scaipe,’’ and flashes off with zigzag turns and twists. It is therefore a difficult bird to kill on the wing, and for the young gunner it is a moment of great satis- faction when he brings down his first Snipe. Snipe are somewhat nocturnal in their habits, though not to such an extent as the Woodcock ; still they feed and migrate chiefly at night or during thick weather. During the breeding season and occasionally in the fall as well, the Snipe rises high in the air and then darts down again with great velocity, at the same time making a curious vibrating rushing sound. The noise is usually known as ‘‘drumming” or “bleating.” The explanation is rather doubtful, but it appears to be caused by the rapid vibration of the webs of the outer tail-feathers as they are drawn through the air. Long-billed Dowitcher ill The nest is a mere depression in the grass, generally on or under a sheltering tuft ; it is lmed with a few leaves. The eggs, 3 to 4 in number, are somewhat pyriform in shape, and are olive to brownish with bold markings of dark umber and sharp, scratchy lines of black. They measure 155 x 1:15. Scott’s nest was found in June near Twin Lakes. There is no more definite information on the nesting-date for Colorado. Genus MACRORHAMPHUS. Bill and position of ear-opening Snipe-like, otherwise resembling « Sandpiper; wings rather long and pointed; tail of twelve feathers doubly emarginate ; legs long, tarsus exceeding middle toe and claw ; tibia naked for about an inch above the joint; toes webbed basally, most fully between the middle and outer toe; tail-feathers barred. The genus contains only one species, forming two subspecies. The western race, which is found in Colorado, is rather larger, has a longer bill, and is rather more highly coloured. Long-billed Dowitcher. Macrorhamphus griseus scolopaceus. A.O.U. Checklist no 232—Colorado Records—Henshaw 75, p. 453 ; Allen & Brewster 83, p. 197; Drew 85, p. 18; Morrison 89, p. 167; Cooke 97, pp. 19, 65; Hersey & Rockwell 09, p. 115. Description. Female in summer—Above, except the rump and lower- back, speckled and mottled with black, brown and buff; a dusky stripe from the eye to the bill; rump white, upper tail-coverts barred with black; tail barred black and white; below bright cinnamon, speckled on the throat, barred along the sides and on, the under tail- coverts with dusky ; iris hazel, bill and feet greenish-dusky. Length 11-0; wing 5-8; tail 2-5; culmen 2:8; tarsus 1-55. In winter there is no cinnamon and the bird is grey-brown, above, the feathers edged paler, below grey on the neck and breast, paling to white on the abdomen, a white superciliary line to the bill and spot below the eye. The male is similar but smaller; wing 5-70; culmen 2-45. Distribution.—Breeding from Alaska to British Columbia, south and south-east in winter to Florida and Central Mexico. In Colorado the Dowitcher is only known as a migrant, and has been reported only from the plains portion of the State east of the Rocky 112 Birds of Colorado Mountains. It arrives from the south about the beginning of May, and has been noticed at Fort Lyon, May 2nd, by Thorne, near Colorado Springs (Allen & Brewster), near Denver, where common in May (Henshaw), at Barr, where it is common on migration (Hersey & Rockwell), and at Loveland, where it was seen by Smith, April 29th. A female in winter plumage, taken October 4th at Barr Lake by Warren, is preserved in the Colorado College Museum. Henshaw’s record of an example taken by himself at Denver, July 24th, 1873, is obviously a mistake, as on that date, by his own account, he was far away in New Mexico, near Fort Wingate. Habits.—The Dowitcher (i.e. Deutscher or German Snipe) is found about marshes and lagoons. It is usually met with in small flocks, but in other respects is not unlike the Snipe, except that it has slightly webbed toes and swims well. Genus MICROPALAMA. Bill long and slender, slightly widened at the tip; ear-opening normal, behind the eye; wings long and pointed; tail doubly emarginate ; toes distinctly webbed basally ; resembling Macrorhamphus generally, but distinguished by its plain, unbarred tail, and the position of the ear-opening. Only one species is known. Stilt Sandpiper. Micropalama himantopus. A.O.U. Checklist no 233—Colorado Records—Thorne 87, p. 264; Morrison 89, p. 167 ; Osburn 93, p. 212; H. G. Smith 96, p. 65; Cooke, 97, pp. 19, 65, 199; Henderson 03, p. 234; 09, p. 227; Hersey & Rockwell 09, p. 115. Description.—Female in summer—Above mottled black, dusky, tawny and white; the primaries and most of the coverts plain dusky ; the upper tail-coverts white, spotted with dusky; tail ashy-grey, edged and centred with white; ear-coverts chestnut; below white, streaked anteriorly, barred posteriorly, with dusky and tawny ; iris brown, bill and feet dusky greenish. Length 8-5; wing 5-4; tail 2.0; culmen, 1-65; tarsus 1-70. In winter the adults are ashy-grey above without black or tawny, but with white edges to the feathers; under-parts and a line over the eye white, slightly suffused with dusky and finely streaked with darker on the throat and breast. The male is slightly smaller—wing 5-0; bill 1-5. Pectoral Sandpiper 113 Distribution.—A rare bird, breeding far north and only known to do so slong the shores of the Arctic Ocean, and in the Mackenzie Province ; south in winter through the United States chiefly east of the Rocky Mountains, to the West Indies and South America as far as Peru and Brazil. The Stilt-Sandpiper is a rare migrant in Colorado, and has been chiefly met with on, the plains east of the range. It appears to arrive late from the south ; the earliest date is May 14th, when Aiken, took a female near Colorado Springs. The other records are: Fort Lyon, May 22nd, Loveland, May 20th, Middle and South Parks and Brecken- ridge (Carter), near Denver in the fall (Smith), Boulder co., record rather doubtful (Henderson), Barr, common on migration (Hersey & Rockwell). Genus PISOBIA. Bill moderately long and slender, about equal to the tarsus; wings long and pointed; outer primary usually the longest; tertials also lengthened and pointed; tail rather long and doubly emarginate ; the two central tail-feathers usually projecting; tibia bare towards the joint; tarsus with transverse scutes before and behind; hind too present, front toes long, slender and cleft to the base. A large genus of highly migratory birds, breeding chiefly far north in both hemispheres, and wintering in the temperate and tropical zones. All the four regular North American species pass through Colorado. Kery oF THE SPECIES. A. Rump and upper tail-coverts black, at any rate centrally. a. Larger; wing 5-4; breast dark ashy, and heavily streaked with dusky. P. maculata, p. 113. b. Medium; wing 4-8; breast lightly suffused with ashy, streaking faint. P. bairdi, p. 115. ce. Smaller; wing 3-3; chest spots heavier. P. minutilla, p. 115. B. Rump dusky, upper tail-coverts white. P. fuscicollis, p. 114. Pectoral Sandpiper. Pisobia maculata. A.O.U. Checklist no 239—Colorado Records—Ridgway 73, p. 187; Drew 85, p. 18; Morrison 88, p. 139; 89, p. 167; Cooke 97, p. 65; Rockwell 08, p. 159; Hersey & Rockwell 09, p. 115. Description.—Adult in summer—Above black, the feathers edged with pale ochraceous-buff ; rump and upper tail-coverts black, lightly tipped with buffy ; middle tail-feathers longest, pointed and margined I 116 Birds of Colorado rather larger and perhaps a little darker ; more richly coloured on the back. Length 5-10; wing 3-3; tail 1-5; culmen -65; tarsus -70. Distribution.—Breeding from Quebec to south Yukon northwards, south on migration through the greater part of the United States, to winter along the Gulf coast and in South America to Peru. In Colorado a fairly common transient visitor in spring and autumn, arriving from the south in the second half of April, passing chiefly through the plains and the mountain parks up to about 7,000 feet. The following are records: Monon, May 2nd (Warren), Fort Lyon and Loveland, April 19th (Cooke), Colorado Springs and Lincoln co. (Aiken coll.), Barr (Hersey & Rockwell) in the plains; Salida, April 28th (Colo. Coll. Mus.), South and Middle Parks (Carter) in, the parks ; Grand Junction, common in spring and fall (Rockwell) on the western slopes. Felger notes it as not uncommon through the summer at Barr, but has no evidence of its breeding. Habits.—All the Sandpipers have very similar habits ; they are mostly seen in small flocks running along patches of sand or mud by the sides of rivers or lakes ; they are nervous and active, and when flushed fly off quickly with a little shrill ‘‘ Peep, peep ” of alarm. Genus PELIDNA. Bill rather long and slender, slightly decurved, much longer than the tarsus, which slightly exceeds the middle toe and claw; in other respects like Pisobia; plumage with a white wing-bar and a black patch on the abdomen in the breeding season. Only one circumpolar species; European and American birds are sufficiently distinct to form two subspecies. Red-backed Sandpiper. Pelidna alpina sakhalina. A.0.U. Checklist no 243a—Colorado Records—Ridgway 73, p. 187; 79, p. 233 ; Morrison 89, p. 168 ; Cooke 97, pp. 19, 66. Description.—Adult in summer—Above rufous with dusky centres and white tips to most of the feathers ; wings and tail dusky ashy, the former with a white wing-bar and white edges to some of the secondaries ; below white, a black patch covering most of the abdomen; fore-neck and chest streaked with dusky ; iris dark brown, bill and feet black. Length 8-25; wing 4-75; tail 2-0; culmen 1-6; tarsus 1-05. In winter the birds are plain ashy-grey above, generally with darker shaft-streaks ; below white with the fore-neck and chest suffused with Semipalmated Sandpiper 117 ashy and streaked. Young birds are very similar to the summer adults, but have the belly spotted with black, not with a continuous black patch. Distribution.—Breeding chiefly on the Barren Grounds from Hudson Bay to northern Alaska and Siberia, migrating chiefly along the coasts to winter in south California, the Gulf and South Atlantic States. A very rare migrant in Colorado, only twice recorded. There was an adult in winter dress in the Maxwell collection supposedly from Colorado, and W. G. Smith obtained two examples at Loveland, April 28th and May 9th. Genus EREUNETES. Bill about as long as the tarsus, rather stout for the family ; toes basally webbed and broadly margined ; in other respects like Pisobia. Two North American species closely allied to one another, comprise this genus. Both are recorded from Colorado. a. Bill longer. E. mauri, p. 118. b. Bill shorter. E. pusillus, p. 117. Semipalmated Sandpiper. Hreunetes pusillus. A.0.U. Checklist no 246—Colorado Records—Henshaw 75, p. 454 ; Allen & Brewster 83, p. 198; Beckham 85, p. 143; Morriscn 89, p. 168; Cooke 97, pp. 19, 66. Description.—Adult in summer—Above, including the upper tail- coverts ashy-brown with dusky centres and some tawny edges ; central tail-feathers and primaries plain dusky ; below white with a few small dusky streaks on the lower-neck and chest ; iris dark brown, bill and legs greenish-black. Length 5-5; wing 3-65; tail 1-5; culmen -80; tarsus -75. In winter the upper-parts are nearly plain ashy-grey, and the spots on, the breast faint or obsolete; young birds have a slight wash of buffy but no spots on the breast, and a good deal of white edging on the scapulars. It can be distinguished at once from P. minutilla, which it closely resembles in plumage by its basally-webbed toes. Distribution.—Breeding from Labrador and Hudson Bay to northern Alaska, south through the United States east of the Rocky Mountains, to winter in the Gulf States, West Indies and eastern South America. This little Sandpiper is not uncommon on migration in eastern Colorado, chiefly on the plains but ranging up as high as the mountain parks; it has been noticed by Carter in South and Middle Parks. It reaches Colorado about the end of April or beginning of May, and has 118 \Birds of Colorado been seon at Fort Lyon, May lst (Thorne), near Pueblo, May 17th (Beckham), in El Paso co., May Ist (Allen & Brewster), at Horse Creek, May 17th (Aiken coll.), and at Loveland, May 6th (W. G. Smith). I have not heard of any fall records though it doubtless returns south through the State. Western Sandpiper. Hreunetes mauri. A.O.U. Checklist no 247.—Colorado Record—Cooke 97, p. 66 (EZ. occidentalis). Description.—Closely resembling Z. pusillus but with a much longer bill, averaging -88 in the male and 1-05 in the female, against -72 apd -84 respectively. Distribution.—Breeding chiefly in western Arctic America; south on migration mostly in, the west but also on the Atlantic coast, in winter to Central and South America. In Colorado this Sandpiper is of rare occurrence on migration. Cooke gives only three records: Loveland, May 12th and July 4th (Osburn), and near Pueblo in the fall (Lowe). Genus CALIDRIS. Bill moderate, about equal to the tarsus; resembling Pvisobia in other respects, but with no hind toe ; anterior toes cleft to the base, without webs. The genus contains only the Sanderling, « cosmopolitan species. Sanderling. Calidris leucophea. A.O.U. Checklist no 248—Colorado Records—Cooke 94, p. 183; (Calidris arenaria); H. G. Smith 96, p. 65; Cooke 97, pp. 66, 158 ; Hersey & Rockwell 09, p. 115. Description.—Adult in summer—Above mottled black, white and tawny-rufous ; wings with the primaries dusky, paler on the inner web, and with white shafts, secondaries also with a good deal of white ; rump and upper tail-coverts dusky centrally, white on the sides ; below white, the throat and breast sometimes slightly spotted with dusky and tawny ; iris, bill and legs black. Length 7:5; wing 4-8; tail 2-0; culmen -95; tarsus -95. , Adults in winter have no tawny; upper-parts ashy-grey, generally with dusky shaft-stripes and lighter edges; under-parts pure white. In any plumage the absence of the hind toe at once distinguishes this from other Sandpipers. Distribution.— Breeding far north ; eggs have been taken on the Arctic Coast near Franklin Bay, in Mackenzie and in Greenland ; on migration Marbled Godwit 119 south along the coasts or across the continents to winter in South America, South Africa, South Asia and Australia, besides occurring as @ wanderer in most of the islands of the three great oceans. In America it chiefly winters along the coast from Virginia and California to Chili and Patagonia. In Colorado the Sanderling is a rare transient visitor in spring and autumn. It was first noticed from Colorado by Cooke, who reported an example in the Museum at Fort Collins, killed in the neighbourhood. Other instances are Horse Creek, May (Aiken coll.), Sloan’s Lake, Denver, May (H. G. Smith), Barr, May 31st and in the fall (Hersey & Rockwell), Loveland, September 24th and 30th and May 12th, Pueblo, October ist (Cooke). Genus LIMOSA. Rather large birds—wing 7 to 9; with a long bill slightly up- curved, the culmen slightly exceeding the tarsus; wing long and pointed; tail short and even; legs long, tarsus far exceeding the middle toe, scutellate in front and behind ; toes short, rather flattened, basally webbed, especially between the inner and outer ones. An almost cosmopolitan genus with two common North American species. The Black-tailed Hudsonian Godwit has not been met with in Colorado, though known from Kansas. Marbled Godwit. Limosa fedoa. A.O.U. Checklist no 249—Colorado Records—Henshaw 75, p. 457; Morrison, 89, p. 168; Cooke 97, pp. 19, 66, 200; Hersey & Rockwell 09, p. 116. Description.—Adult Male—General colour cinnamon, heavily barred and mottled with dusky above, the rump, tail-coverts and tail plainly barred rufous and dusky ; below finely barred with dusky on the chest and sides, streaked on the throat, and white on the chin; primaries chiefly dusky, shaft of the outer one white; lining of the wings and axillaries chestnut ; iris dark brown, bill black on its terminal, reddish- brcwn on its basal, half; legs ashy-black. Length 17-5; wing 9-0; tail 3-3; culmen 2-9; tarsus 2-8. The female is rather larger—wing 9-5, culmen 4-5. There is no seasonal change, and the young birds are slightly paler and have the breast and sides unmarked. Distribution. Breeding chiefly in the upper Missouri Valley from Iowa to southern British Columbia, and migrating south in winter to Guatemala. The Marbled Godwit is a rare bird in Colorado, and has not yet been found breeding ; it is probably only a migrant. 120 Birds of Colorado It passes through Colorado at the end of April, and has been noticed at Loveland, April 20th and May Ist, by W. G. Smith. It also ranges into the mountains, since Carter observed it at Breckenridge. The only other definite records are: San Luis Lakes, where a single example was taken by Aiken, October Ist, 1874 (Henshaw), and Barr, where it has been noticed at various dates in May and July by Hersey and Rockwell. Genus TOTANUS. Bill long and slender and straight or nearly so, longer than the head, but the culmen shorter than the tarsus; the lateral grooves on, the bill only extending for half its length; tail short, nearly even and barred ; legs long, tibia nearly half their length; tarsus, which far exceeds the middle toe and claw, scutellated before and behind ; hind toe present; web between the middle and outer toe fairly well developed, between middle and inner toe almost obsolete. This genus, as restricted, contains four or five species breeding in the northern parts of the Old and New Worlds. The two North American species commonly met with both occur in Colorado. Key oF THE SPECIES. A. Larger; wing 7 to 8. T. melanoleucus, p. 120. B. Smaller; wing 6 to 7. T. flavipes, p. 121. Greater Yellow-legs. T'otanus melanoleucus. A.O.U. Checklist no 254—Colorado Records—Allen 72, pp. 152, 159 ; Tresz 81, p. 244; Drew 85, p. 18; Morrison 89, p. 168; Cooke 97, pp. 18, 66, 200; Henderson 03, p. 234; 09, p. 228; Rockwell 08, p. 159; Felger 09, p. 289. Description.— Adult in summer—Above ashy-grey and dusky black, mottled with white, rather more streakily marked on the head ; upper tail-coverts white, sometimes with a few narrow bars of dusky, tail ashy to white barred with dusky; primaries plain dusky black, the shaft of the outer one white ; below white streaked about the fore-neck and breast, barred on the sides and flanks with dusky; iris and bill brown, legs chrome-yellow. Length 13; wing 7-75; tail 2-75; culmen 2-20; tarsus 2-60. The sexes are alike. In winter the birds are dark ashy-grey without black above and more white below, with fine ashy-grey streaks on the throat and upper-breast only. Distribution.—Breeding apparently from Anticosti to British Columbia and south in the Missouri Valley to Iowa, but breeding records are very Yellow-legs 121 scarce; south on migration throughout the United States to winter along the Gulf Coast and south California, and thence to the Argentine and Chili. The Greater Yellow-legs is u fairly common migrant throughout the State both in spring and autumn, in the plains and mountain parks ; it has been noticed by Rockwell as high as 10,000 feet on the Grand Mesa. It reaches Loveland the first week in April from the south, and Rockwell saw one as early as March 28th, at Orchard. It has not yet been found nesting in the State, but there is no reason why it should not do so, and Felger has noticed it at Barr every month from March to October. Additional records are Boulder co. (Henderson), Palmer Lake, August 5th, and South Park (Allen), Middle Park (Carter), Wet Mountain Valley (Baker) and Fort Lyon, Thorne (Cooke). Habits.—The Yellow-legs is in no way different from other Sandpipers in its habits ; it is found in small flocks or pairs, as a rule, along the shores of lakes or in marshy ground where it wades along the shallows in search of snails, worms, minnows and other aquatic animals which form its food. When disturbed it rises with a loud whistling cry, often wheeling round and circling back again to the same spot. The nest is usually placed on the ground near a marsh and constructed chiefly of grasses. The eggs, four in number, are greyish-white, spotted or blotched with dark brown, and measure about 175 x 1°31. Yellow-legs. Totanus flavipes. A.O.U. Checklist no 255—Colorado Records—Allen 72, p. 152; Drew 85, p. 18; Beckham 85, p. 143; Morrison 89, p. 168; Cooke 97, pp. 18, 66, 200; Henderson 03, p. 234; 09, p. 228; Rockwell 08, p. 159; Hersey & Rockwell 09, p. 116. Description.—Closely resembling 7’. melanoleucus in plumage but very decidedly smaller in all dimensions. Length 9-25; wing 6-50; tail 2-4; culmen 1-4; tarsus 2-1. Distribution.—Breeding far north on Hudson Bay and the Barren Grounds; south on migration, most abundantly through the eastern United States, and wintering from the Gulf States to Patagonia. Occasionally in Europe. The Yellow-legs is only known, as a migrant in Colorado; in its movements and dates it follows closely the Greater Yellow-legs, in the 122 Birds of Colorado company of which it is frequently found. It comes back early from the north—in fact it was taken on July 23rd by Thorne at Fort Lyon, and may possibly have been breeding there. Other records are: Pueblo, May 8th (Beckham), El Paso co., May 7th (Aiken coll)., Barr Lake where very common, and observed through May, June and July, but not known to breeed (Hersey & Rockwell); Loveland, April 15th (W. G. Smith), while Carter noticed it in Middle and South Parks, and Rockwell on the Grand Mesa, at 10,000 feet, in the mountains. Genus HELODROMAS. Bill moderate, slightly exceeding the head; tarsus short, slightly exceeding the middle toe and claw, approximately equal to the culmen ; resembling Totanus in most respects, but the sternum with only one notch instead of two posteriorly, and laying its eggs in trees in the deserted nests of other birds. This genus contains one Old World and one New World species, the latter separated into an eastern and western race. The western one is characterized by its larger size and greyer wings. Western Solitary Sandpiper. Helodromas solitarius cinnamomeus. A.O.U. Checklist no 256a—Colorado Records—Allen 72, pp. 152, 159; Henshaw 75, p. 459; Tresz 81, p. 244; Allon & Brewster 83, p. 198; Drew 85, p. 18 ; Morrison 89, p. 168 ; Cooke 97, pp. 18, 67, 200 ; Henderson, 03, p. 107; 09, p. 228; Rockwell 08, p. 160; Cary 09, p. 180; Hersey & Rockwell 09, p. 116. Description.—Adult—Above dark olive-brown, streaked on the head, speckled elsewhere with white; primaries and edge of the wing rather darker, almost black; central tail-feathers and their coverts like the back with a few white spots at the edges ; lateral tail-feathers and their coverts white, barred with black ; below white, the throat and breast streaked, the sides and under wing-coverts closely barred with dusky ; iris brown, bill and legs dusky-greenish. Length 8-5; wing 5-15; tail 2-0; culmen 1-3; tarsus 1-25. The sexes are alike ; there is but little seasonal change, but the tone is more ashy and there is less white speckling above in winter. Young birds have distinct cinnamon spots above instead of white. Distribution.—Western North America, breeding in northern Alberta and probably south to Colorado and Utah, wintering in California and probable south to Peru. Western Solitary Sandpiper 123 In Colorado this Sandpiper is a fairly common transient visitor, while some birds stay through the summer and probably breed, though eggs have not been taken in the State. in It reaches Colorado about the last week in April, and is most common in the plains though noticed as high as Breckenridge by Carter, and at Pennsylvania Lake at 8,500 feet, August 27th, by Felger (Henderson). Summer and possibly breeding records are: Grand Junction, June 22nd, (Rockwell), near Kremmling, July 13th (Cary), Pueblo, July 27th (Henshaw), South Park, July, and Palmer Lake, Augus (Allen); while on migration it has been taken at Salida, April 25th (Colo. Coll. Mus.), El Paso co., May Ist (Allen & Brewster), Barr Lake in the fall (Hersey & Rockwell), and Loveland, April 20th (W. G. Smith). Habits.—The solitary Sandpiper is fond of quiet ponds among the mountains surrounded by forest, and is then rather solitary in its habits, but during migration it is often seen in flocks. It wades with graceful move- ments along the shallows in search of mollusca, insects and worms, for which it probes with its bill. It is some- what silent, differing in this respect from the Yellow-legs or Tailers. It has only quite recently been discovered (“‘ Ibis,” 05, p. 158) that they make use of the nests of other birds in which to lay their eggs. Evan Tompson, a collector employed by Walter Raine, took three clutches in June, 1903 and 1904, in northern Alberta; they were found in the nest of an American Robin, a Bronzed Grackle, and a Cedar Bird respectively. In each case the clutch was four, and the eggs, which averaged 1°36 x °98, were pale greenish-white, spotted and blotched with shades of brown and purple. In this matter the Solitary Sand- piper follows the Green Sandpiper of Europe. Further search will probably result in the discovery of eggs in Colorado. Genus CATOPTROPHORUS. Large birds — wing 8 to 9 — with the general characteristics of Totanus ; bill longer than the head, culmen about equal to the tarsus ; 124 Birds of Colorado legs moderate, but tarsus clearly exceeding middle toe and claw; webbing between the toes more extensive; base of the tail and a patch on the wing white. , One species confined to America with an eastern and western race, the latter averaging larger and paler. Western Willet. Catoptrophorus semipalmatus inornatus. A.O.U. Checklist no 258a—Colorado Records—Ridgway 73, p. 187; Henshaw 75, p. 457; Allen & Brewster 83, p. 198; Drew 85, p. 18; Morrison, 88, p. 139; 89, p. 168; Cooke 97, pp. 19, 67, 200; Warren 06, p. 19; Hersey & Rockwell 09, p. 116. Description.—_In_ summer—Above ashy-grey, streaked with dusky to a varying degree, chiefly along the centres of the feathers ; upper tail-coverts white, some of the longer ones barred with dusky ; primaries dusky, white on the basal half, making a conspicuous white wing-patch ; most of the secondaries white; below white, fore-neck spotted, breast and sides marked with transverse bars of dusky, often a little pale rufous as well; iris brown, bill dusky, legs bluish. Length 14:5; wing 8-75; tail3-2; culmen 2-5; tarsus 2-6. In winter the birds are nearly uniform ashy above, and white below, shaded on the fore-neck with greyish. Young birds are darker and more brown above, the feathers edged with ochraceous. Distribution.—Breeding from Manitoba and Alberta south to Texas, west of the Mississippi; in winter further south into Mexico. The Willet is fairly common in Colorado on migration, while a certain number of birds are said to remain to breed, both in the plains and mountains up to 12,000 feet (Morrison), though I have not been able to find any definite account of the nest and eggs being taken in the State. It arrives from the south about the first week in May and has been noticed at Monon, April 28th (Warren), Fort Lyon, May 2nd (Thorne), near Colorado Springs, May 1—7th (Aiken coll), Denver, May 10th (Henshaw), Barr, common in spring (Hersey & Rockwell), and Love- land, April 27th, May 5th (W. G. Smith)—in the plains—and at Crested Butte, May (Warren), and Breckenridge (Carter)—in the mountains. Morrison found it common near Fort Lewis in September, and Aiken procured a bird of the year, August 29th, close to Leadville. Habits—This large and conspicuous bird is found about marshes and lakes, where it obtains its food among the stones and weeds. It is very restless and noisy, especially when its breeding-places are invaded. Upland Plover 125 Nests, according to Goss who found this bird breeding at Lake Como, Wyo, are placed in tussocks of grass, near the water’s edge, and are bulky structures ; the eggs are usually four, somewhat pyriform in shape, buffy to greyish-white in colour, spotted and blotched with brown and purplish ; they average 2710 x 1°55. They doubtless nest in Colorado, though nothing is known of their doing so. Genus BARTRAMIA. Of moderate size—wing 6 to 7; bill short and slender, about equal to the head, but distinctly shorter than the tarsus; tail long, about half the wing, strongly graduated ; tarsus scutellated, exceeding the middle toe and claw; outer toe webbed, inner one cleft; plumage highly variegated, tail barred. One species only ; accidental in Europe. Upland Plover, or Bartramian Sandpiper. Bartramia longicauda. A.O.U. Checklist no 261—Colorado Records—Allen 72, p. 152; Allen & Brewster 83, p. 198; Drew 85, p. 18; Morrison, 89, p. 168 ; Cooke 97, p. 67; Rockwell 08, p. 160; Cary 09, p. 180; Hersey & Rockwell 09, p. 116. Description. Above dusky black, variegated with tawny edges to the feathers, especially on the middle of the back and wings; rump and upper tail-coverts plain dusky, central tail-feathers brown banded with darker, lateral ones tawny-brown with irregular bars of dusky and white tips, primaries plain dusky barred with white on the inner web; below soiled white, the fore-neck, breast and sides marked with streaks of dusky, becoming bars posteriorly ; axillaries and under wing-coverts transversely barred with dusky; iris dark brown, bill yellowish with dusky tips, legs dull yellow. Length 11-0; wing 6-4; tail 3-0; culmen 1-15; tarsus 1-85. There is no seasonal change of plumage, and the young are very similar to the adults. Distribution. Breeding from Yukon and Ontario south to Utah, Kansas and Virginia; wintering far south, chiefly in South America on the Argentine plains. Accidental in Europe. In Colorado this Sandpiper does not appear to be well known, though it is probably a common summer resident on the eastern, plains of the State. It does not occur in the mountains or foothills. On the western 126 Birds of Colorado slope Rockwell observed a single bird on a sage-brush flat in the Plateau Valley at about 6,800 feet, in Mesa co., while Cary heard and saw a good many individuals on migration near Lay and Meeker in August. Messrs. Allen and Brewster noted a good many specimens brought into market in Colorado Springs, April 28th. This is the only dated record for its arrival in the spring. Hersey and Rockwell found a nest with fresh eges, June 28th, 1907, near Barr, where it is not uncommon. Habits.—The Bartramian Sandpiper, or Upland Plover as it is more frequently known, although a wader by structure, prefers the dry upland prairies and cultivated fields. It lives chiefly on grasshoppers and also eats berries, and is consequently very fat and delicate and a much esteemed bird for the table. The nest, according to Goss, is placed on the open prairies in a depression or sheltered by a tuft of grass, and is lightly constructed and difficult to find. The eggs, four in number, are greyish-white to pale buff, spotted all over, chiefly at the larger end, with various shades of brown. They are somewhat pyriform in shape and measure 1°75 x 1:27, Genus ACTITIS. Small Sandpipers, wing under 4-5; bill, head, tarsus and middle toe with claw, all about equal; tail rather long, about half the length of the wing; outer toe basally webbed, inner one cleft; no white on the rump or central tail-feathers; spotted below. One Old World and one New World species only. Spotted Sandpiper. Actitis macularia. A.O.U. Checklist no 263—Colorado Records—Allen, 72, pp. 152, 159, 164; Aiken 72, p. 210; Coues & Trippe 74, p. 501; Drew 81, p. 142; 85 p. 18; Tresz 81, p. 245; Allen & Brewster 83, p. 198; Beckham 85, p. 18; Morrison 88, p. 140; 89, p. 168; Kellogg 90, p. 86; Lowe 92, p. 101; McGregor 97, p. 38 ; Cooke 97, pp. 18, 67, 200 ; Henderson 03, p. 234; Warren 06, p. 19; 08, p. 20; 09, p. 14; Markman 07, p. 156; Rockwell 08, p. 160; Hersey & Rockwell 09, p. 116. Description. Female in summer—Above bronzy-brown, lightly streaked on the head, cross-barred on the back and wings with dusky ; Spotted Sandpiper 127 primaries dusky; secondaries and their coverts white tipped, both the former with white bars; lateral tail-feathers with white; stripe over the eye and under-parts white, the latter with large rounded dusky spots; axillaries and under wing-coverts white with a brown bar across the latter; iris dark brown, bill waxy-yellow, black at the tip and along the culmen, legs olive-grey. Length 6-75; wing 4-1; tail 2-0; culmen -95; tarsus -90. The male is slightly smaller, and the black spots not so numerous ; in winter the spots are absent and the breast is washed with grey, and the back is less glossy. Distribution.—Breeding from Alaska and Labrador south over the greater portion of the United States; wintering in the southern United States and south to Brazil. In Colorado the Spotted Sandpiper, with the exception of the Killdeer Plover, is the commonest wader; it ranges from the plains quite to the timber line, wherever there is a small pool or stream suitable to its wants, and nests everywhere though perhaps most abundantly at tho higher elevations. It arrives from the south at the end of April or the first week in May and leaves again in September, though some remain a good deal later into the cold weather. Breeding records are: Boulder co. 10,000 to 11,000 feet (Gale), Barr (Hersey & Rockwell), Brecken- ridge (Carter), Montgomery (Allen), Salida, arriving May 5th and breeding (Frey), Lily (Warren 08), Mesa co. (Rockwell), San Juan co. (Drew), La Plata co., up to 13,000 feet (Morrison). Habits.—This Sandpiper is often known as the “‘ Peet- weet”? from its note, or the “Teeter” or “ Titups”’ from its way of balancin,z itself on its legs and elevating and depressing its tail with clockwork regularity; it is rather solitary in its habits, and more than two are seldom found in one spot. Its flight is also rather striking, the wings appearing to be turned downwards all the time as it skims along the mud flat. The nest is placed on the ground in a slight depression near a lake or stream ; it consists only of a few blades of dry grass, slightly put together. The eggs, nearly always four in number, are rather pointed in shape and creamy or olive-drab in colour, spotted and blotched with brown and purplish; they average 1°30 x 1°0. Gale found fresh eggs between June 10th and 20th, 128 Birds of Colorado at elevations of 10,000 to 11,000 feet near Gold Hill ; Warren’s nest and eggs were taken June 30th, while Allen’s nest at 12,000 feet was found as late as July 24th. Genus NUMENIUS. Bill long, sometimes abnormally so, slender, down-curved and arched, the tip of the upper mandible slightly knobbed and projecting beyond the lower; legs stout, tarsus covered in front with transverse scutes, elsewhere with reticulate scales ; hind toe well developed, a basal web between the anterior toes best developed between the middle and outer. A cosmopolitan genus of about nine species, three of which are common in North America. The smallest of these, the Eskimo Curlew (Numenius borealis), is not yet known from Colorado, but should be looked for as it is quite common on spring migration in Kansas. It is included in the key. Key oF THE SPECIES. A. Large—wing 10 to 12, bill4 to 8; primaries varied with rufous. N. americanus, p. 128. B. Medium—wing 9 to 10, bill 3 to 4; primaries varied with rufous or whitish. N. hudsonicus, p. 129. C. Small—wing under 9, bill 2 to 2-5; primaries without rufous. N. borealis, Long-billed Curlew. Numenius americanus. A.O.U. Checklist no 264—Colorado Records—Say 23, vol. ii., p. 4; Aiken 72, p. 210 (N. longirostris); Henshaw 75, p. 461; Morrison 89, p. 168; Lowe 92, p. 101; Cooke 97, pp. 18, 67, 200; Henderson 03, p. 235; 09, p. 228; Warren 06,p.19; 09, p.14; Rockwell 08, p. 160; Felger 09, p. 290. Description.—Adult—General colour above pale tawny rufous, mingled with dusky black ; streaky on the head and neck, more barred on the back; primaries plain dusky on the outside web, barred with rufous on the inside ; below pale tawny with narrow dusky streaks on the fore-neck and chest, becoming nearly white on the throat; bill black, paler on the lower mandible ; legs dark bluish-grey. Length of a male 20; wing 11-0; tail 3-9; culmen 5-6; tarsus 3-0. The bill of a female taken the same day measures 7-5. There is little seasonal or sexual variation in the plumage, but the intensity of the rufous and the length of the bill varies a good deal with individuals. Coues states the bill varies from four to eight inches in extreme cases. Hudsonian Curlew 129 Distribution.—_ Breeding from British Columbia and Alberta south to Arizona and Oklahoma, but chiefly in the prairie states ; wintering in the Gulf States and south to Guatemala. It is rare and only a migrant in the North Atlantic States. In Colorado this Curlew is a fairly common summer resident chiefly on the prairie portion of the State though mounting up into the parks to about 7,500 feet. It arrives from the south about the middle of April ; Salida, April 29th (Frey), Loveland, April 10th to 15th (W. H. Smith). It has been noticed in Baca co. (Warren), near Pueblo (Lowe), Fremont co. (Aiken coll.), Boulder co., breeding (Gale), Middle and South Parks, breeding (Carter), and is stated to be abundant near Fort Lewis by Morrison, while Rockwell believes that it is rare in Mesa, co., whence he has only one record : Plateau Valley, 6,500 feet, in the spring of 1905; Felger states that it is w common summer resident about Barr Lake. Habits.—The Curlew is as often found on the dry upland prairies as in marshy places near water ; its food consists chiefly of worms, small mollusca, and insect larve, and it probes for these with its long bill where the ground is soft enough. It has a loud whistling note, and if disturbed on its breeding-grounds, its harsh cries of alarm resound. Gale found nests on several occasions near Gold Hill. He gives May Ist to 15th as the date for fresh eggs. The nest is only a slight depression in a dry meadow bottom, and is lined scantily with a few blades of grass. The eggs, usually four in number, are rather ovate and not so pytiform as those of other waders. They are buffy to olive-drab, blotched and spotted with several shades of brown, and average 2°85 x 1°85. Hudsonian Curlew. Numenius hudsonicus. A.O.U. Checklist no 265—Colorado Records—Beckham, 85, p. 143; Thorne 87, p. 264; Morrison 89, p. 181; Cooke 97, p. 67; Hersey & Rockwell 09, p. 116. Description.— Resembling N. americanus, but decidedly smaller and with a shorter bill; top of the head more or less uniform blackish- brown with a median and two lateral stripes of whitish ; general colour EK 130 Birds of Colorado paler rufous than in N. americanus, but with the inner webs of the primaries marbled with paler. Length 18; wing 10-0; tail 3-75; culmen 3-6; tarsus 2-7. A mounted example in the Aiken collection taken in the fall does not show the median pale stripe on the crown very clearly ; it is probably a bird of the year. Distribution.—Breeding chiefly far north in the Barren Grounds from Hudson, Bay to northern. Alaska, south on migration to winter in the Gulf states and Lower California and through the West Indies and Mexico as far as Brazil and Chili. The Hudsonian Curlew is a rare migrant in Colorado, hitherto only recorded on one or two occasions from, the plains east of the mountains. Beckham first reported an example which he examined, and which was said to have beenshot near Pueblo. Thorne, and subsequently Morrison, noticed it near Fort Lyon on April 30th, 1885, and in early May, 1888, respectively. Hersey and Rockwell report it as rare in the fall migration at Barr. There is a single example in the Aiken collection, taken September 23rd, 1900, near Colorado Springs. Family CHARADRIIDZ. A large family containing the Plovers and their allies, in which the bill never exceeds the length of the head and is generally shorter; it ends in a characteristic convex, horny terminal portion—the dertrum; tarsus reticulate without scutes; toes, except in Squatarola, always three in number; webbing between the toes variable. (For key of genera, see p. 100.) Genus SQUATAROLA. Resembling in every respect Charadrius, but with a small and distinct hind toe, contrary to the general rule in the family. This genus contains only the Grey or Black-bellied Plover, a bird of wide distribution in both hemispheres. Black-bellied Plover. Squatarola squatarola. A.O.U. Checklist no 270—Colorado Records—Ridgway 79, p. 232; H. G. Smith 86, p. 285; 96, p. 65; Morrison 89, p. 181; Cooke 94, p. 183; 97, pp. 68, 201. Description.—In summer—Above mottled blackish and ashy-white ; upper tail-coverts chiefly white ; tail barred black and white ; primaries dusky with white on the inner webs; forehead, line over the eye and American Golden Plover 131 down the sides of the neck, wing linings and under tail-coverts, white ; rest of the lower parts from the chin to the abdomen, including the axillaries, black ; iris brown, bill and legs black. Length 9-75; wing 7-25; tail 2-5; culmen 1-1; tarsus 1-75. A minute hind toe present measuring -1. In winter, and as generally seen in Colorado, the upper-parts are speckled dark brown and white, with a few spots of tawny ; and below white, washed with grey and slightly striped with dusky on the fore- neck and breast; the axillaries, however, always black; iris brown, bill black, legs dark bluish. Distribution.—Breeding far north beyond the Arctic circle in both hemispheres, south in winter chiefly along the sea coasts in America as far as Peru and Brazil. This Plover is rather a rare migrant through Colorado, and has generally been noticed in the fall on its way south. H. G. Smith reported two from near Denver, one a young male killed October 22nd, 1888. Cooke shot one near Fort Collins, October 28th, and W. G. Smith noticed it at Loveland. There is an example from Barr in the Museum at Denver, and one from near Colorado Springs in the Aiken collection. All the records hitherto are from the plains east of the mountains. Genus CHARADRIUS. Bill moderate, about as long as the middle toe and claw, tip swollen forming a “‘dertrum”; wings long and pointed, the outer primary clearly the longest; tail short, slightly rounded, less than half the length of the wing; tarsus and bare part of the tibia with reticulate scaling throughout ; u basal web between the middle and outer toes ; hind toe absent. There are several species of Golden Plovers, but only one commonly occurs in North America. American Golden Plover. Charadrius dominicus. A.0.U. Checklist no 272—Colorado Records—Ridgway 73, p. 187 (C. pluvialis virginicus) ; Morrison 89, p. 181; Cooke 97, p. 68; Hersey & Rockwell 09, p. 116. Description.—Summer—Above blackish, spangled with golden-yellow and white ; below, including the base of the bill and sides of the face to the eyes, black, bordered above by white ; tail barred brown and grey ; wings dusky, paler at base; lining of wings and axillaries ashy- grey; iris dark brown, bill black, legs dusky. Length 10; wing 7-0; tail 2-5; culmen -85; tarsus 1-7. K 2 132 Birds of Colorado In winter and juvenal plumage very similar to the above, but with less yellow ; below whitish, streaked and mottled on the sides of the neck and body and on the breast with dusky, but the axillaries always ashy-grey. Distribution.—Breeding chiefly on the Barren Grounds from Hudson Bay to northern Alaska, south in winter to the Argentine Pampas, passing mostly down the Atlantic coast and Mississippi Valley. There is very little information about the occurrence of the American Golden Plover in Colorado. Ridgway included it in his list of Colorado birds, and Cooke states that a few pass in the spring and fall over the plains of Colorado below 5,000 feet. Hersey and Rockwell find that it is not uncommon at Barr during migration. There is no Colorado example in the Aiken collection. Genus OXYECHUS. Bill rather slender ; tail long, at least half the length of the wing graduated an inch or more; plumage with two black bands across the chest. One American species. Killdeer. Oxyechus vociferus. A.O.U. Checklist no 273—Colorado Records—Allen 72, pp 152, 159; Aiken 72, p. 209; Scott 79, p. 96; Tresz 81, p. 243; Drew 81, p. 142; 85, p. 15; Nash 83, p. 225; Allen & Brewster 83, p. 197; Beckham 85, p. 143; 87, p. 124; Morrison 88, p. 139; 89, p. 181; Lowe 92, p. 101; McGregor 97, p. 38 ; Cooke 97, pp. 18, 68, 201 ; Dille 03, p. 74; Henderson 03, p. 234; 09, p. 228; Warren 06, p. 19; 08, p. 20; 09, p. 14; Markman 07, p. 156; Rockwell 08, p. 160; Hersey & Rockwell 09, p. 116. Description.—Adult—Above brown, with an olive tinge, a white frontal band running back through the eye, bordered above by black ; a white collar also bordered by black; rump and upper tail-coverts rufous; wings dusky with a good deal of white on the secondaries and coverts ; tail dusky, rufous and white ; below white, with two black bands across the chest; iris brown, eyelids orange-red or scarlet, bill black, legs pale flesh. Length 9-5; wing 6-4; tail 3-75; culmen ‘8; tarsus 1-3. The sexes are alike ; young birds are rather duller above, and the feathers margined with rusty and the black bands are greyish. Distribution.— Breeding throughout temperate North America from British Columbia and Ontario southwards; wintering in the Gulf States and southern California south to northern South America. Killdeer 138 The Killdeer is perhaps the commonest of all the waders in Colorado ; it is a summer resident, arriving from the south early in March and breeding throughout the State, from the plains to about 10,000 feet, between April and June. It leaves again for the south late in October. Breeding records are: Barr (Hersey & Rockwell), Hl. Paso co. (Aiken) and Baca co. (Warren), in the plains; Breckenridge (Carter) and Twin Lakes (Scott), in the mountains ; Mesa co. (Rockwell) and La. Plata co. (Morrison), on the western slope. H. G. Smith in- formed Henderson that he saw three just east of Boulder, December 31st, 1904; possibly w few individyals winter in the State. Habits.—This little Plover, which gets its common name from its shrill two-syllabled whistle, is commonly found in Colorado, not only near water but in high, dry prairies and mesas. It is not specially gregarious, and is generally met with in pairs, except at migration time. As a rule it isnot very shy and is easily approached, while it is bold and most demonstrative in defence of its young. It makes its nest on the ground, very generally near water on the sand, but at other times in meadows or cultivated fields and even in quite dry, high places. The nest, a poor affair of a few twigs is arranged in a depression. The eggs, almost always four in number, are buffy or drab, with spots and heavy blotches of dark purplish or blackish-brown, most numerous at the larger end. In shape they are very pyriform and pointed, and they average 1°5 x 1°05. The nesting time appears to extend over a long period in Colorado. Gale found eggs exceptionally early in April, and gives as an average date, April 20th to May 20th; an egg in the Colorado College Museum, presented by I. C. Hall, was taken so late as June 24th, near Greeley, and is stated to have been fresh and unincubated. Possibly two broods are raised. Both parents share in the labours of incubation. 134 Birds of Colorado Genus AGIALITIS. Bill of varying size; tail never reaching half the length of the wing, hardly graduated ; webbing of toes rather variable ; with only one, or an incomplete, black bar across the chest. A considerable genus of wide distribution ; three species and one subspecies are common in the United States, and two of these, 4’. meloda circumcineta (the Belted Piping Plover), and 4. nivosa (the Snowy Plover), should occur in Colorado. The former is a common bird of the Mississippi Valley and has been, taken at Cheyenne, and is recorded by Dawson, (99) from, Julesburg ; it is well known in Nebraska. The latter is common in Utah, and was found nesting by Goss in south-west Kansas. Both are included in the key. Key To THE SPECIEs. A. Inner and outer toes webbed to the second joint; bill short, black and orange in colour. £. semipalmata. B. Web only between the middle and inner toe to the first joint. a. Bill short and stubby, black and orange; a narrow black collar across the fore-neck. 4. circumcincta. b. Bill slender and black, no collar, merely a patch of dusky on either side of chest. ££. nivosa, Semipalmated Plover. Agialitis semipalmata. A.0.U. Checklist no 274—-Colorado Record—Cooke 97, pp. 68, 201. Description.—Adult—Above brownish-grey, below pure white; a black ring round the fore-neck, bordered above by a white half-collar on, the back of the neck continuous with the white throat below ; front of the face black, with a white patch across the forehead ; wing chiefly dusky, with white on the secondaries and coverts ; tail mostly white- tipped, outer-feathers nearly all white; iris hazel, eyelids bright orange, bill black, orange at base ; legs pale flesh. Length 7-10; wing 4-75; tail 2-3; culmen -52; tarsus -95; toes webbed to the second joint. In winter the black on the head and neck is replaced by the brown of the back; young birds have the feathers of the upper-parts edged with buffy. Distribution.—Breeding chiefly from Labrador to Alaska; south in winter to the Gulf coast and southern California, and thence to the West Indies, Chile and Patagonia. The Semipalmated Plover is a rare straggler on migration in Colorado. It was obtained at Loveland by H. G. Smith, May 6th, 1890, and at Grand Lake, Middle Park, in the fall by Carter. There is an example Mountain Plover 135 at the Colorado Museum, of Natural History at Denver, taken by Hersey at Barr in the spring, where it is rare. Genus PODASOCYS. Resembling Agialitis, but without black bands or patches on the breast ; tail short, less than half the wing, square ; tarsus long, about half as long again as the middle toe and claw ; toes very short, the outer one basally webbed. This genus contains only one species. Mountain Plover. Podasocys montana. A.O.U. Checklist no 281—Colorado Records—Allen 72, pp. 152, 159 ; Aiken, 72, p. 209; Coues 74, p. 456; Henshaw 75, p. 447; Tresz 81, p. 244; Allen & Brewster 83, p. 197; Drew 85, p. 18; Beckham 85, p. 148; Dille 86, p. 29; 03, p. 74; W. G. Smith 88, p. 187; Morrison 89, p. 181; Cooke 97, pp. 18, 68, 201; Warren 06, p. 19; 10, p. 30; Markman, 07, p. 156; Henderson 09, p. 228; Hersey & Rockwell 09, p. 116. Description.—Male—Above pale brown, feathers edged to a varying extent with rusty or yellowish ; a black band across the front of the crown of varying width and purity ; wings dusky, white on the shafts and on the bases of some of the inner quills; tail dusky, paler on the outer feathers, edged with white; frontal band and lower-parts white, a black stripe from the eye to the base of the bill and a rather faint grey or tawny band across the chest, but no black ; iris brown, bill black, legs pale brown. Length 8-0; wing 5-9; tail 2-4; culmen -9; tarsus 1-6. The sexes are alike; in winter there is no black crown or loreal bands, and the rusty or buff is more evident. . Distribution.—Western North America, from Dakota and Texas westwards, hardly north of the United States boundary; wintering from Texas and northern California to central Mexico. The Mountain Plover, in contradistinction to its name, is a common summer resident on the eastern plains of Colorado, though extending up into the parks to about 8,000 feet. It is fairly abundant in the San Luis Valley (Henshaw), where Warren, also saw a female with two half-grown young on July 19th ; South Park (Tresz) and Middle Park (Coues). It arrives from the south about the middle of April, though noticed as early as March 26th at Fort Lyons and March 18th at Love- land, and returns south late in October. It has been reported in addition from Greeley (Dille), from Barr, where it is very common on dry prairie (Hersey & Rockwell), from El Paso, Lincoln and Huerfano cos. (Aiken coll.), from Fort Lyon, eggs June 9 (Thorne), and from Baca co. (Warren). I have not heard of it anywhere on the western slope. 136 Birds of Colorado Habits.—This Plover is chiefly found about the dry, grassy prairies and mesas and also in sage-brush country, and is quite independent of the presence of water. It is a rather solitary bird, though after the breeding season may be met with in small parties of ten or twelve; it subsists chiefly on insects and especially locusts and grass- hoppers, of which it must destroy enormous numbers. It has a whistle-like note, reminding one of a Curlew according to Dille, and when disturbed or molested in the breeding season, has the power of shamming being crippled or wounded, and at the same time shrieks as if in great agony. The nest is a depression in the ground, sometimes lined with a few stray grasses, sometimes without lining ; it is situated on the dry prairie as a rule. The eggs, nearly always tour, are not so pointed as those of most Plovers; they are olive-drab, spotted and dotted especially at the larger end with shades of brown, but not blotched. They measure 1°45 x 1°10. Dille gives May 29th as the average date for fresh eggs in the plains ; it is perhaps a little later in the mountain parks, as Allen noticed newly-hatched young on July 28th in South Park. Family APHRIZIDZ. This family was first formed by Coues to contain the Surf-birds and Turnstones. They have a stout, rather short, bill, a scutellated tarsus and four toes; the anterior ones without webs. Genus ARENARIA, Bill moderate, conical and tapering, culmen about equal to tarsus ; no dertrum or swelling towards the tips of the mandibles ; tail of twelve feathers slightly rounded ; tarsus short, about equal to the middle toe and claw, with a few transverse scutes in front, otherwise reticulated ; hind toe present ; no webs. Ruddy Turnstone 137 Two species are known, one nearly cosmopolitan, the other confined to the coasts of North America, Ruddy Turnstone. Arenaria interpres morinella. A.0.U. Checklist no 283a—Colorado Records—H. G. Smith 96, p. 65 ; Cooke 97, pp. 69, 201. Description.—Male in summer—Above, including the wings, varie- gated with chestnut, black and a little white ; upper tail-coverts white ; tail chiefly black, but white at the base and tips of the feathers; below white with a-black patch on either side of the fore-neck, surrounding white patches on the throat and either side of the head and neck ; iris and bill black, feet orange-red. Length 9-0; wing 6-0; tail 2-25 ; culmen 9-; tarsus 1-0. The female has less chestnut and the black is duller. In winter the upper-parts are brown, the feathers edged with fulvous or grey ; below white with the breast dusky, mottled with whitish. Distribution.— Breeding far north from the Mackenzie River to perhaps Melville Island ; south on migration chiefly along the coasts as far as Patagonia and Chile; rare inland. The Turnstone is a rare straggler to Colorado ; H. G. Smith reported one from Sloans Lake near Denver, killed April 26th, 1890, and R. Borcherdt obtained eight out of a flock on Berkeley Lake, also close to Denver, May 18th, 1900. One of these latter specimens is exhibited in the Colorado Museum of Natural History in Denver. Hersey took one out of a bunch of three at Barr, September 9th, 1907. ORDER GALLIN. This order contains the game-birds, such as Pheasants, Grouse, Turkeys, Brush-Turkeys and Curassows ; they can easily be recognized by their short, arched bills, their strong legs, well adapted to walking, and their rounded, rather feeble wings ; the tarsus is often armed, especially among the males, with a strong, sharp spur ; the hallux is always present, and in all the Colorado species is jointed above the level of the other toes; the wing has ten primaries, but the number and arrangement of the tail-feathers is subject to considerable variation. The nest is usually placed on the ground, and the young, 138 Birds of Colorado when hatched, are covered with down and able to run and fly almost at once. Key oF THE FAMILIES AND GENERA. A. Head completely feathered. a. Tarsus bare and not feathered (Odontophoride). at Head without a true crest, tail shorter, about 3 of wing. Colinus, p. 138 b1 Head with a full, soft crest ; tail longer, about ¢ of wing. Callipepla, p. 141. c! Head with an upstanding club-shaped crest, distinct from crown-feathers. Lophortyx, p. 142. b. Tarsus always more or less feathered (T'etraonide). al Tarsus feathered for half its length; with shoulder rufs. Bonasa, p. 147. bt Tarsus feathered to the bases of the toes at least, but toes not completely feathered. a? Tail long, about equal to the wing, highly graduated and attenuated. Centrocercus, p. 153. b® Tail long, about 2 of wing; not attenuated, slightly rounded. Dendragapus, p. 145. ce? Tail short, less than 3 of wing. a? Tailstrongly graduated, middle tail-feathers projecting ; no tufts. Pediocztes, p. 15Y. b® Tail moderately graduated, middle-tail-feathers not projecting ; neck tufts present. Tympanuchus, p. 150. c! Tarsus and toes densely feathered throughout. Lagopus, p. 148, B. Head and neck naked; tarsus not feathered (Meleagride). Meleagris, p. 155. Family ODONTOPHORIDZ. Head fully feathered ; tarsus bare and without a spur ; hind toe jointed above the level of the others ; plumage never metallic. Genus COLINUS. Feathers of the crown lengthened and erectile, but hardly forming a true crest ; tail of twelve feathers about 2 the length of wing. The genus is confined to North America, and goes as far south as Yucatan. There are two species only in the United States; the Bob-White 139 typical form of one of these only is found in Colorado. It is possible that the Texan subspecies (C. v. texanus) may reach south-east Colorado. It is distinguished by its slightly smaller size—wing 4-4, by its heavier brown barring below, and its less reddish tone above. Bob-white Colinus virginianus. A.O.U. Checklist no 289—Colorado Records—Drew 85, p. 14; Morrison 89, p. 181; Kellogg 90, p. 87; Bendire 92, p. 1; Cooke 97, pp. 69, 201; Dille 03, p. 74; Henderson 03, p. 235 ; 09, p. 228; Judd 05, pp. 9-46; Warren 06, p. 19; Rockwell 08, p. 160. Description.—Male—Above and the fore-neck chiefly rufous-chestnut, variegated and mottled with grey, black and tawny-yellow ; the rump and tail chiefly grey ; the edges of the tertials chiefly tawny ; a strong superciliary line and the throat white, bordered by black ; rest of the under-parts whitish with transverse double crescentic bars of black, and a few stripes of chestnut on the sides ; iris brown, bill dark brown, paler at the base of the lower mandible, legs brownish-grey. Length 9-0; wing 4-5; tail 2-6; culmen -55; tarsus 1-15. The female has the supercilium and throat buffy-yellow with less black around, and is less distinctly marked generally; it is « trifle smaller—wing 4:35. Distribution.—Eastern North America from Maine and southern Ontario to northern Florida, westwards to south Dakota and eastern Colorado. The Bob-white did not extend much beyond central Kansas in the middle of last century, but with the spread of settlement it has extended its range westwards over the prairies to the eastern portion of Colorado ; while at the same time it has been introduced by human agency all along the foothills-country from Pueblo to Fort Collins. It is also to be found in Estes Park and Wet Mountain Valley, at La Junta and near Grand Junction, where it has doubtless been introduced as well. Bob-whites are not uncommon in the south-east.corner of the State (Warren), but whether these are the eastern or Texan form, is uncertain. It is probably a resident throughout its range. Habits.—The Bob-whites prefer fairly open, cultivated lands, meadows and pastures, with patches of bush and briars where they can take shelter. They are generally to be found in small coveys or parties, which do not range very far from where they were raised. In the spring the coveys break up into pairs. The Bob-white, which is often called the Quail or Partridge in the east, 140 Birds of Colorado derives its name from its call-note. This is usually uttered by the male when perched on a rail-fence or a low limb of a tree. The coveys very often roost in the open on the ground in a solid circle with heads out and tails in, and like all Gallinaceous birds dust themselves in little pits to get rid of vermin. The food consists of about 80 per cent. of vegetable matter, 15 per cent. of animal matter ; the latter, chiefly eaten in the summer and fed to the young birds, consists mostly of beetles and grass- hoppers ; the former of seeds and weeds. They are there- fore most valuable birds to the farmer, and should be encouraged and protected in every way. They are also a very valuable sporting bird, lying well to a dog and rising when flushed with dash and vigour, besides being exceedingly well-flavoured and wholesome for eating purposes. The nest is placed on the ground ; it is a simple affair consisting of a saucer-shaped excavation, sheltered by a patch of weeds or grass, and lined with a little grass or small twigs. The number of eggs is large, usually 12 to 15, and as many as forty-two eggs have been found in one nest, though these are probably the production of several hens, They are pyriform and pointed in shape, and white in colour, and average 1:25 x 1:0. Dille gives June 5th as the average date for a clutch of fresh eggs, while Gale states May 20th to June 10 is the usual time. A clutch of fifteen eggs taken by I. C. Hall near Greeley, and presented to the Colorado Museum, were obtained as late as July 24th, and are described as bemg unincubated. But the Bob-white varies very much in this respect, and eggs have been taken in every month in the year, except December, in various parts of the United States. Scaled Quail 141 Genus CALLIPEPLA. Crown with a full, soft and depressed crest ; tail of fourteen feathers ; about # the length of the wing; plumage of the under-parts scaly in appearance. Only one species of this genus is recognized, confined to south-west United States and Mexico. Scaled Quail. Callipepla squamata. A.O.U. Checklist no 293—Colorado Records—Lowe 95, p. 298; Anthony 95, p. 388; Cooke 97, pp. 69, 202; Bailey 03, p.112; Judd 05, p. 61; Warren 06, p. 19; 10, p. 30; Dille 09, p. 87. Description. Adult—Above slaty-blue, washed with tawny on the wings and middle-back ; feathers of the upper-back and breast edged with black, producing a scaly appearance; crown with a full, soft crest, tipped with white; inner tertiaries edged with white; below the throat is pale yellowish-white, the sides are slaty, streaked with white and the abdomen is mottled with brown and white ; iris hazel, bill black, legs brownish. Length 10; wing 4-5; tail 3-25; culmen -5 ; tarsus 1-2. A young bird has the upper-parts marked with black bars and white mesial streaks, while the breast is brownish with white triangular streaks. Distribution.—A resident from southern Colorado, south through western Texas, New Mexico and Arizona to the valley of Mexico. The Scaled Quail was first found in Colorado by Lowe, who on June 10th, 1895, killed one in the eastern foothills of the Wet Mountains. Apparently they have always been abundant in the cedar country to the south of the Arkansas River, in Las Arimas and western Baca co., but during the last ten years they have been spreading north and east. In 1899-1900 they were very common near Rocky Ford (Cooke), and last summer (1908) there were quite a number round about Colorado Springs, while on June 2nd and 8th of that year a pair were killed near the summit of Pikes Peak—a most remarkable instance of their wandering propensities. They are also spreading eastward into south-western Kansas, and are well known at Monon and Springfield (Warren). Habits.—This bird, also known as the Cotton-top and Blue Quail, and sometimes rather erroneously as the Scaled Partridge, is chiefly found in open and arid country where the yucca, cactus and sage-brush flourish. It is 142 Birds of Colorado often far from water. In the autumn it forms small coveys, probably several families joing together, and thus remains till pairing time. Along the Arkansas Valley they are rather domestic and keep near the farms all the winter, and often nest in the gardens or close by. The food consists of about 30 per cent. insects, chiefly grasshoppers and beetles, and 70 per cent. vegetable matter, principally weed-seeds, but they undoubtedly eat a certain quantity of plant tips and buds as well. The nest is placed on the ground and consists merely of a slight depression lined with a little grass, but gen- erally somewhat concealed by a bush or tuft of grass, The eggs, usually eleven or twelve, are thick-shelled, somewhat lustreless and sub-pyriform or ovate; they are white to pale buff, very finely marked, as a rule, with pin-points of reddish brown. I have no nesting dates for Colorado, but further south eggs have been taken as early as April, and as late as September. Genus LOPHORTYX. Crown with a crest of several upstanding club-shaped, imbricated black feathers at least an inch long, rather smaller in the female; tail normally of twelve, sometimes of ten or fourteen, feathers, about + the length of the wing. Three species and subspecies of this genus are found in the United States and Mexico. Key oF THE SPECIES. A. Lower-breast scale-like ; the edges of the feathers black. a. Occiput brown, separated from the whitish forehead by a black band. L. californicus, ¢ p. 143. b. Occiput and forehead dull brown. L. californicus, 2 p. 143. B. Lower-breast buffy-white, with a black patch on the belly. L. gambeli, ¢ p. 144, C. Lower-breast and belly buffy-white, faintly streaked; no black patch. L. gambeli, 2 p. 144, California Quail 143 California Quail. Lophortyx californicus. A.O.U. Checklist no 294—-Colorado Records—Drew 85, p. 14; Cooke 97, pp. 69, 202; Judd 05, p. 47; Rockwell 08, p. 47; Cary 09, p. 180. Description—Male—Above slaty-blue with an, olive wash on the wings and pale tawny edges to the secondaries and tertiaries; head with a characteristic club-shaped crest of several glossy-black feathers ; forehead .whitish, continued as a line over the eye, bounded posteriorly by black ; occiput brown ; « ides of the face and throat black, bordered. by white; sides and back of the neck mottled with black edges and white spots; breast slaty-blue; rest of the under-parts tawny-olive, rufous, white and black, the latter chiefly in narrow cross-bands. Length 10-0; wing 4-5; tail 3-75; culmen -5; tarsus 1-15. The female has the head dull brown above and the throat rather paler and streaked, but no definite markings; it is also without the rufous on the abdomen; young in first plumage have white, black- bordered shaft-lines above, angular white spots on the breast and obscure grey bars on the belly. Distribution.—The lower transition and upper sonoran zones of the Pacific coastlands from Oregon to Monterey co. in California. Intro- duced into Washington and British Columbia and many other parts of the world. The California Quail has been introduced and has increased and thoroughly established itself in many parts of Colorado, especially in the neighbourhood of Denver, Colorado Springs and Grand Junction. About the last-mentioned place they have become so abundant that the farmers are beginning to complain. They have spread up the Gunnison Valley as far as Hotchkiss, and have also been introduced and have spread in Montezuma co. Habits.—Miss Eggleston, quoted by Rockwell, says: “A few years ago these birds were introduced near Grand Junction, and have multiplied rapidly. They make their nests under the piles of pruned branches from the orchards and bring out large broods. One hen has been seen with twenty-three chicks, of two distinct broods. They are very tame, sitting on the fence-posts or trees by the roadside, and calling noisily to one another. They feed early in the morning, and large numbers of them can be driven from the gardens.” The California Quail undoubtedly does eat and damage grapes, though in other respects it does useful ' 144 Birds of Colorado work in devouring grass-seeds. It roosts in bushes, not on the ground, and is not so good @ sporting-bird as the Bob-white. The nest is a depression, lightly lined with grass, and generally sheltered by brushwood or a rock. The eggs, 12 to 16 in number, are white or buffy, irregularly spotted all over with brown and drab. They average 1:25 x 10. Gambel’s Quail. Lophortyx gambeli. A.O.U. Checklist no 294—Colorado Records—Morrison 89, p. 181 Cooke 97, pp. 70, 202. Description.—Male—Front half of crown and crest black, with a few white lines on the forehead 3; posterior half chestnut-brown, u white transverse line across the crown, another running back from the eye, and a third surrounding the black throat ; general colour above ashy- blue, with dark shaft-lines to the feathers round the neck ; breast like the back; other under-parts buffy, rich chestnut streaked with white on the flanks, and a black patch in the middle of the belly ; iris brown, bill black. Length 6-5; wing 4-75; tail 3-75; culmen -45 ; tarsus 1-15. The female has the head plain greyish-brown, a little whiter on the chin; the crest is dark brown and not recurved, and the black belly- patch is absent, but the lower-breast and belly are faintly streaked with brown. Distribution. From, Western Texas to southern California morth to southern Utah and Colorado, south to Sonora in Mexico. The claim of Gambel’s Quail to admission to the Colorado list seems rather doubtful; Morrison gives it as rare in the south-west part of the State, and Cooke in more detail says that Morrison shot three, forty miles south-west of Fort Lewis. This would certainly take one well over into New Mexico, so that although it most probably occurs within the State boundary, it does not appear to have been actually taken. Family TETRAONIDA. Head fully feathered ; tarsus partially or completely feathered and without a spur; hind toe jointed above the level of the others; plumage never metallic. Dusky Grouse 145 Genus DENDRAGAPUS. Large birds without crests or any specially lengthened feathers, but with « bare space on the neck, ordinarily concealed by feathers but capable of inflation into a drum or tympanum; tail long, even or slightly rounded, about 3 of the wing, of eighteen to twenty feathers normally ; tarsus feathered to the toes. This genus contains one western species with three local races con- fined to the pine forests of the Rocky Mountains. Dusky Grouse. Dendragapus obscurus. A.O.U. Checklist no 297—Colorado Records—Pike 10, ii., p. 458 (Coues’ ed.); Say 23, ii., p. 14; Allen 72, pp. 159, 164; Trippe 74, p. 399; Henshaw 75, p. 435 ; Scott 79, p. 96; Tresz 81, p. 189; Drew 81, p. 142; 85, p. 17; Morrison 88, p. 139; 89, p. 181; Kellogg 90, p. 87; Bendire 92, p. 41; Lowe 94, p. 267; Burnett 96, p. 643 McGregor 97, p. 38; Cooke 97, pp. 70, 202; Henderson 03, p. 235; 09, p. 228; Judd 05, p. 41; Gilman 07, p. 153; Warren 08, p. 20; Rockwell 08, p. 161. Description.—Male—Above mottled, dusky and slaty-blue, most blue on the hind-neck, the wings with a little tawny as well; tail slaty- black with u terminal band of pale slaty; below slaty-grey, varied with white on the sides and abdomen ; chin and throat white, spotted with slaty ; iris orange-brown, bill black, feet blue-grey, comb over the eye and neck-drum yellow. Length 20; wing 9-5; tail 7-5; culmen -8; tarsus 1-8; weight about three to five pounds. The female is a good deal smaller—length about 17-5, wing 8-5; and has more dark-brown and buffy mottling on the back and chest. Young birds are like the female, but have in addition white shaft-marks and tips to many of the feathers, and the two central tail-feathers mottled and barred with dusky and tawny. Distribution.—The Rocky Mountains region from Montana and Idaho and the Black Hills of Dakota, south to the White Mountains of Arizona and to New Mexico. A resident throughout its range. In Colorado the Dusky Grouse is a resident, found throughout the year in, the mountainous portion of the State, chiefly in the pine forests from about 7,000 feet to timber line. It has been noted from Estes Park (Kellogg) to the Wet Mountains (Lowe), and from Mesa co. (Rockwell) to La Plata (Morrison). It was undoubtedly killed by Pike on the slopes of Cheyenne Mountain near Colorado Springs, who alludes to it as the ‘‘ Pheasant.” Habits.—The Dusky Grouse, also known as the Blue or Grey Grouse, and more familiarly as the Fool-hen, L 146 Birds of Colorado keeps to the heavy spruce timber most of the year. It is a solitary bird, never forming large flocks, though after the breeding season often seen in coveys or family parties along the mountain meadows. During the winter it remains in the thickest spruces, where it feeds on the pine needles and buds, and where its presence can often be detected by the debris collected undemeath. The food consists chiefly of vegetable matter, about 93 per cent. according to Judd; this is mostly made up of berries, especially those of the Kinnick-kinnick (Arctostaphylos), and of pine needles, buds and flowers ; the animal matter, about 7 per cent., is chiefly grass- hoppers, taken at high elevations in the fall or late sum- mer, when they are to be met with even above timber line. In the spring especially the male makes a curious booming or rumbling sound. It is said to most nearly resemble the sound caused by whirling a rattan cane round and round through the air. The production of this sound is connected with the two naked patches on each side of the neck. These are hollow vesicles in connexion with the air sacs, and are inflated to the size of half an orange at this time and are most con- spicuous, while at ordinary times they are concealed by the overlaying feathers. The nest, which has been described by Henshaw and Burnett, is placed on the ground, generally in an open glade, but sheltered or somewhat concealed ; that found by Burnett was placed in a hollow under two old logs, It is a simple structure of dried grass or pine needles ; the eggs, eight or nine in number, are whitish to buffy, with fine spots or dots of chocolate fairly evenly dis- tributed. They average 2°0 x 140. Fresh eggs may be looked for about the middle of June at the higher elevations, earlier at lower elevations, according to Grey Ruffled Grouse 147 Gale. Henshaw’s nest, which contained seven eggs about to hatch, was found on the Upper Rio Grande on June 18th. Genus BONASA. Head with a full, soft crest ; base of the neck with a ruff of black, fan-shaped feathers, concealing a rudimentary drum; less developed in the female ; tail of normally eighteen feathers, long, nearly equalling the wing, truncate and slightly rounded ; tarsus half bare of feathers, covered in front by two or three rows of scutes. One species only, confined to North America, but forming three local races, makes up this genus. Grey Ruffled Grouse. Bonasa umbellus umbelloides, A.O.U. Checklist no 300b—Colorado Records—Allen 72, p. 181; Morrison 88, p. 139; 89, p. 181; Cooke 97, pp. 70, 159, 202. Description.—Above variegated brown, black, white and grey, chiefly the latter, spotted with paler dark-edged cordate or arrow-headed markings on the back and rump; tail-feathers grey, vermiculated with black and with a subterminal black band; below whitish, tinged with tawny, with brown cross-bars on most of the feathers ; fore-neck and throat mingled brown, grey and white; on each side of the neck covering the shoulders a tuft of broad, soft, spreading, glossy, greenish- black feathers—the ruff or ruffle. Length about 17-0; wing 7-25; tail 6-50; culmen -70; tarsus 1-65. The female is smaller—wing 6-75—and has the ruffle less developed or even obsolete. Young birds are somewhat similar, but with more brown and without ruffles. Distribution.—The Rocky Mountains region of North America from Alaska and Yukon to Utah and Colorado. The Ruffled Grouse is a very rare bird in Colorado, but appears to be a resident at lower elevations in the mountains. An example was shot and others seen about eighteen miles south of Denver in December, 1894 (Cooke); Mr. L. D. Gilmore saw five near Sweetwater Lake in Garfield co., January 3rd, 1898, and several more subsequently, while Cooke was fortunate enough to see w family of old and young birds, August 12th, 1899, on the South Fork in Estes Park, which seems to point to their having bred in Colorado. There is no other definite record. Habits.—The Ruffled Grouse is celebrated for its “drumming,” a performance carried out by the male L2 148 Birds of Colorado on a specially selected spot—a log or flat rock generally. The sound is caused by the rapid vibration of the wings, and is sometimes kept up for hours and resembles the sound of a kettle-drum. It is only indulged in by the male, and is a love-call to attract the female. Genus LAGOPUS. No crest, ruff or tufts ; only a naked comb over the eye ; tail short, about 2 of wing, of fourteen rectrices nearly covered up by the coverts ; tarsi and toes densely feathered to the claws ; plumage white in winter. A considerable genus containing three well-marked North American and three well-marked European species, as well as a good many less well-defined species and subspecies, all restricted to the boreal zone. White-tailed Ptarmigan. Lagopus leucurus. A.O.U Checklist no 304—Colorado Records—Baird 58, p. 636; Allen 72, p. 164; Aiken 72, p. 209; Batty 74, p. 390; Coues & Trippe 74, p. 426; Brewer 74, p. 348 ; Henshaw 75, p. 438; Coues 76, p. 263 ; Scott 79, p. 96; Drew, 81, p. 141; 84, p. 392; 85, p. 17; Morrison 89, p.181 ; Kellogg 90, p. 87; Bendire 92, p. 83 ; McGregor 97, p. 38; Cooke 97, pp. 70, 202; Warren 00, p. 169; 08, p. 20; Osgood 01, p- 180; Henderson 03, p. 235; 09, p. 228; Henshaw 05, p. 315; Judd 05, p. 47. Description.—In summer—Above, including the head, fore-neck and breast, mottled, barred and spotted with black, white and tawny ; tail, wings, belly and legs white, sometimes yellowish and discoloured, the white of the tail partially hidden by the long coverts; iris hazel, comb over the eye red, bill black. Length 12-0; wing 6-75; tail 4-5; bill -37; tarsus 1-20. In late summer after the post-nuptial moult, the dark parts are more uniformly grey with finer markings; in winter pure white throughout. The moults take some little time to complete, so that specimens in every intermediate stage are frequently met with (see Plate 3). Distribution.—The Rocky Mountains at high elevations, chiefly above timber line, from British Columbia south to the Cascade range in Oregon and the Taos range in New Mexico. This Ptarmigan is fairly abundant throughout the higher mountain ranges of Colorado, and is a resident there all through the year. It breeds above timber line from about 11,500 feet to the summits of the mountains, while in winter it stays about timber line though sometimes driven down to lower levels, perhaps 9,000 feet, by heavy storms. It White-tailed Ptarmigan 149 was first taken in Colorado by Dr. Anderson, attached to Captain Marcy’s party when marching from Fort Bridger in Utah to Santa F6, probably on the Cochetopa Pass, in January, 1858. It has been found nesting near the Chicago Lakes by Trippe and Evan Lewis (Brewer, Trippe and Bendire), near Breckenridge by Carter, near Crested Butte by Warren, in Saguache co. by Anthony (Bendire), and in the San Juan Mountains, San Juan, co., by A. D. Wilson (Coues), and appears to be generally distributed. Habits.—This bird, generally known in Colorado as the “‘Mountain Quail,” is with the Leucostictes the highest-ranging and most alpine of all the birds in the State. It is, where not molested, very tame and easily approached, and is chiefly met with among the rock- slides and bare, almost vegetation-free country lying above timber line. It is with difficulty flushed, and even where this is accomplished it flies but a short distance, and generally tries to escape by running and squatting among the rocks which it so closely resembles. Its food consists chiefly of leaves, stalks and flowers of alpine plants, and grasses, especially of Caltha leptocephala, the Rocky Mountain marsh-marigold. During the winter it feeds on the buds and needles of pines and willows. Its note is a loud cackle; and it is somewhat gregarious, keeping in flocks of twenty up to one hundred individuals throughout most of the year, except in the breeding season. The white plumage begins to change in March, but the summer-dress is seldom complete until the end of May or beginning of June. After the breeding is over the complete post-nuptial moult, common to nearly all birds, takes place, and the white wing- and. tail-feathers are replaced ; later on, in October, a special moult of the dusky and grey feathers of the back commences, and the birds gradually assume the pure white winter-dress. The nest is generally near the summit of a ridge, and is merely a depression among the rocks, lined with a 150 Birds of Colorado little dried grass, a few white feathers from the breast of the female and sometimes a few leaves; the eggs, usually eight in number, are oval and buff, of a light creamy or darker reddish shade ; the markings are few and well defined as a rule, and are of a darker reddish- brown; in size they average 1°70 x 1°20. Trippe’s nest containing eight eggs was taken on June 28th. Evan Lewis’s at the same place, of only four eggs in which incubation had commenced, on June 19th ; while Wilson’s nest from the San Juan mountains, containing five or six nearly fresh eggs, was not taken till July 15th. The male does not apparently take part in incubation, nor is a second brood raised. Genus TYMPANUCHUS. Head slightly crested ; neck with two long tufts of feathers covering a bare yellow tympanum or wattle capable of distention, like a small half-orange ; tail short, graduated, less than half the wing, of eighteen feathers, rather stiff and truncated ; tarsus feathered in front and at the sides ; toes bare and webbed at the base. This genus contains three species and one additional subspecies, and is practically confined to the United States. The Lesser Prairie Chicken (Z'. pallidicinctus) should be looked for in south-east Colorado. It occurs in south-west Kansas and Oklahoma. It is smaller— wing less than 8-5—and paler and more bleached than the common form. Prairie Chicken. Tympanuchus americanus. A.O.U. Checklist no 305—Colorado Records—Drew 85, p. 17; Morrison 89, p. 181; Cooke 97, pp. 159, 202; Hersey & Rockwell 09, p. 116. Description. Male—Above variegated with black, brown, tawny and white; the latter chiefly on the wing, the markings mostly in irregular bands; below paler, more regularly banded, chiefly white and brown, throat pale yellowish, sometimes speckled with darker ; primaries and tail-feathers nearly plain brown; tail narrowly tipped with white; a pair of neck-tufts of several long, stiff feathers, dusky and tawny, about 3-5 in. long; iris brown, bill dark brown, feet yellowish. Length 18-5; wing 9-0; tail 3-5; culmen -7; tarsus 1-85. Columbian Sharp-tailed Grouse 151 The female resembles the male, but is smaller—wing 8-5—and has quite inconspicuous neck-tufts. Young birds have the feathers of the upper-parts with rather conspicuous white mesial streaks. Distribution.—The Mississippi Valley from Louisiana and Texas north to Manitoba and west to the borders of Colorado, east to Indiana and Kentucky ; migratory over the northern part of its range. Like the Baltimore Oriole, the Cardinal and the Blue Jay, the Prairie Chicken is gradually extending its range westwards with the opening up and settlement of the western prairies and the cultivation of the ground. Though included by Drew and Morrison in their Colorado lists, the first definite recorded instance of its occurrence seoms to be that of J. S. Robertson of Barton, just two miles within the Colorado border line in the extreme north-east of the State, who had seen them twice on his farm in 1897 ; later on, in 1900, Otto Derr wrote to Cooke that at Wray the Prairie Hen is a not uncommon breeder. Hersey and Rockwell state that in 1907 a pair nested fourteen miles north- east of Denver, near Barr, and in the following year two pairs raised eighteen young. It may be considered an, uncommon resident in the north-eastern part of the State. Genus PEDIOCATES. Head slightly crested ; a naked patch over the eye bearing numerous yellow papille ; no tufts or ruffs,; but » semi-concealed bare patch on the neck forming a rudimentary tympanum ; tail short, less than, half the wing, of eighteen feathers strongly graduated, the central pair narrow, square-tipped and projecting about an inch beyond the others ; feathering on, the tarsus extending about half way down the toes, confined to the front and sides; toes with a lateral fringe of horny processes. One species only, with two additional local races confined to North America. Key oF THE SPECIES. A. More rusty and tawny in tone. P. p. campestris, p. 152, B. More buffy and greyish in tone. P. p. columbianus, p. 151. Columbian Sharp-tailed Grouse. Pediocetes phasianellus columbianus. A.O.U. Checklist no 308a—Colorado Record—Cary 09, p. 181. Description. Hardly differing from P. p. campestris, but with the ground-colour buffy-greyish or pale greyish with little if any rusty tinge. 152 Birds of Colorado Distribution.—Western America, from British Columbia to northern California, and east to western Colorado. Cary identifies a Grouse taken by him in August, 1906, near Hahn’s Peak in northern Routt co., with this subspecies, and concludes that all the Sharp-tailed Grouse of western and southern Colorado should be referred to this form. He noticed the Sharp-tailed Grouse also in San Miguel, Dolores, Montezuma and Archuelta counties up to an eleva- tion of 9,500 feet, and concluded that they were this subspecies. Prairie Sharp-tailed Grouse. Pediocetes phasianellus campestris. A.O.U. Checklist no 308b—Colorado Records—Allen 72, p. 152; Aiken 72, p. 208 ; Morrison 87, p. 58 ; 88, p. 139; 89, p. 182; Ridgway 87, p. 192; Osburn 93, p. 212; Cooke 97, pp. 71, 159, 203; Gilman 07, p. 153; Rockwell 08, p. 161; Warren 09, p. 14; Henderson 09, p- 228. (Some of these may refer to the other subspecies.) Description.—Above tawny, mottled with black, white and reddish markings, rather fine except on the scapulars, the white chiefly on the wing-coverts ; primaries and their coverts plain brown with white spots, chiefly on the outer web; throat buffy, rest of the under-parts white ; fore-neck and breast with numerous brown U-shaped spots, extending over the flanks to the lesser extent ; four middle tail-feathers like the back, mottled tawny and rufous, others chiefly white; iris brown, bill and feet horny-brown. Length 18; wing 8-75; tail 3-0, to end of longest tail-feather 4-0; culmen -6; tarsus 1-75. The female is smaller—wing about 8-0. A young bird is rather lighter and has white shaft-markings above. Distribution.—The prairie region of middle America from Manitoba to Texas and New Mexico, east to Winconsin, west to Colorado; pro- bably a resident throughout. In Colorado this bird is by no means common. It was apparently more so in former days, but it is a species which prefers wild country and retreats before settlement, and it is now but seldom met with. It was chiefly an inhabitant of the prairie country east of the mountains, and was abundant formerly about Loveland (Osburn). It is occasion- ally met with in the wilder parts of Routt co. There is an example in the collection at the Capitolin Denver from Wray, presented October 19th, 1903, by B. E. Sisson; Aiken observed one near Limon in May, 1899, and Carter found it breeding in Middle Park at 7,500 feet. In south-west Colorado near Fort Lewis both Gilman and Morrison state that it is fairly common among the scrub-oaks on the mesas at about 7,500 feet, but whether it is the present subspecies or P. p. columbianus, the characteristic form of the Great Basin region, is at Sage-Hen 153 © present uncertain. Cary believes the Routt co. bird is referable to the other subspecies. Habits——The Sharp-tailed Grouse is very generally mis-called the “‘ Prairie Chicken ’ in the north-west. It is a bird of the prairie in summer, retiring in winter to ravines and wooded lands, and often roosting beneath the snow when the weather is severe. The food consists chiefly of vegetable matter—about 90 per cent. ; it is a great browser, devouring leaves, buds and flowers of various bushes and trees, while in La Plata co. it chiefly feeds on the acorns of the scrub-oak. In the breeding season the males give a dancing display before the females. A nest, described by Gilman, was found on May 11th: it was a slight depression in the ground lined with grass and feathers, and hidden and sheltered by a small scrub-oak. The eggs were eleven in number ; these were creamy-buff to pale olive-brown, plain or very finely spotted with reddish-brown. They average 1°7 x 1°24, and are small for the size of the bird. Genus CENTROCERCUS. Head hardly crested; neck with a large protuberance in, front eapable of great distention, covered above by long hair-like filamentary plumes and below with scaly, stiff feathers; tail as long as, or even exceeding the wing, very strongly graduated, composed of 16 to 20stiff, narrow, acuminate feathers. Only one species; confined to the dryer parts of western North America. Sage-Hen. Centrocercus urophasianus. A.0.U. Checklist no 309—Colorado Records—Fremont 45, p. 284; Baird 58, p. 624; Aiken 72, p. 209; Henshaw 75, p. 437; Scott 79, p. 96; Morrison 88, p. 139; 89,p.182; Cooke 97, pp. 71, 203 ; Warren 08, p. 20; 09, p. 14; Rockwell 08, p. 161. Description. Male—Above mottled tawny, black and a little white, markings finest on the head, primaries and their coverts plain brown ; below, chin and the lower-breast black ; under tail-coverts black with 154 Birds of Colorado white tips; breast covered with scaly, stiff, worn feather-bases from which project black, hair-like filaments; a patch of downy white feathers on either side of the neck cover the naked tympanum or air sac, which is enormously inflated under sexual excitement ; flanks and leg feathers mottled like the back. Billblack; air-sacsyellow. Length 30-0; wing 13-0; tail 12-0; culmen 1-5; tarsus 2-25; weight up to 941bs. (Morrison). Before the breeding season the breast of the male is black. The female is much smaller than, the male—length about 20, wing 11-0; the throat and breast are mottled like the back, but with more white, the air-sac is present but quite small, and there are no specially modified feathers. Distribution.—The sage-brush plains of western North America from south British Columbia and North Dakota, south to south-east California and New Mexico. A resident with a slight vertical migra- tion in some parts. In Colorado the Sage-Hen is a resident chiefly in the drier sage-brush plains of the north and west of the State, but goes up to a certain extent into the mountains and breeds as high as 9,000 feet at Dillon (Carter)* and near Twin Lakes (Henshaw & Scott); but it does not seem, to occur at allin the eastern plains. The following are localities : Grand, Routt and Gunnison cos. (Warren), Mesa co. (Rockwell), near Cortez (Morrison), the lower Trinchera Valley in Costilla co. (Brunner in litt.). Habits——The Sage-Grouse or Sage-Hen is the largest American game-bird except the Turkey, and is remark- able in many respects. It is almost entirely confined to the sage-brush (Artemesia) areas, and its diet is largely confined to the shoots and leaves of these desert plants, and as a result—unless drawn immediately after it is killed—its flesh is far from palatable. The mating season begins early, and the courting habits are very remarkable. The males strut round with the yellow air-sacs enormously distended, so that the whole head and neck are balloon-like in appearance. With tail standing erect they scrape their breasts along the bare ground and finish the performance by expelling the air from the sacs with a chuckling, rumbling *It was probably in this neighbourhood that it was seen by Fremont, June 20th, 1844 Merriam’s Turkey 155 sound. This courting act, according to Bond, is continued daily during the pairing and nesting season. The nest is a depression with a little grass lining or sometimes nearly bare, and is usually sheltered by a sage bush or clump of grass. The eggs, about eight in number, are olive-buff to greenish-brown, spotted with chocolate-brown; the colour is superficial and easily removed from a freshly laid egg. The size averages 2°20 x 1°50. They roost on the ground often in the same place, as can be told by their droppings, and in winter they pack into parties of fifty to one hundred birds. Family MELEAGRIDID. Characters of the single genus. Genus MELEAGRIS. Head and upper-neck naked and carunculate, with an erectile process on the crown; tarsi naked with scutes in front and behind, that of the male spurred ; tail broad and rounded of 14—18 feathers ; plumage lustrous and iridescent. This genus contains two species only, and is confined to North America. The domestic bird is without doubt derived from the Mexican race (M. gallapavo Linn.) and the Colorado bird is more closely allied to it than to the wild Turkey of eastern North America (M. g. silvestris). Merriam’s Turkey. Meleagris gallopavo merriami. A.O.U. Checklist no 310d—Colorado Records—Pike 10, Vol. ii., pp. 442, 462 (Coues’ ed.); Ridgway 73, pp. 186, 195; Morrison 88, p. 1389; 89, p. 182; Cooke 97, pp. 71, 203 ; Gilman 07, p. 153; Warren 09, p. 14 ; Felger 09, p. 191. Description.—Male—Head and neck bare, dull bluish, with an erectile process hanging from above the bill; chest with a bristly tuft ; feathers of the under-parts metallic bronzy-green and reddish, tipped with velvet-black ; feathers of the lower-back and rump metallic tipped with black ; tail, tail-coverts and feathers of the lower-rump tipped with buffy-whitish ; iris brown, bill dusky, legs dusky red. Length 48 to 50; wing 20-5; tail 16-0; culmen 1-6; tarsus 5-26. The female is similar but duller and smaller, 156 Birds of Colorado Distribution.—The Rocky Mountains region of the United States from, Colorado through New Mexico and Arizona to northern Mexico. Turkeys were formerly abundant throughout the greater part of Colorado. Pike, in 1806, on his march up the Arkansas Valley to what is now Cafion City, several times alludes to them, and fed his soldiers on those he was able to shoot; they are still to be met with occasionally in the less-accessible parts of the State. Morrison, in 1888, found them abundant along the Pine River in La Plata co. One was taken on the Buckhorn in Larimer co. in 1861; R. Borcherdt killed three out of a flock of twenty-five in the fall of 1868 on Plum Creek, south of Denver (Felger); they doubtless still exist in the south-eastern corner of the State south of the Arkansas River, while Warren states that C. H. Smith, of Coventry, saw one in the San Miguel cafion in January, 1898. There is a mounted male example of a Colorado Turkey in the Colorado Museum, of Natural History at Denver. It was killed by Carter near Cajfion City in January, 1878; another specimen, a mounted female in the State Historical Society’s collection, was obtained near Durango in the winter of 1895 by A. J. Allen, and both these seem undoubtedly referable to this subspecies; but it is possible that the Turkeys of the lower Arkansas Valley may be the eastern race (M. g. silvestris), distinguished by their deep rusty tail-tips and the rich-dark chestnut of the lower-rump and tail-coverts. Habits.—Merriam’s Turkey seems to be more of a mountain bird than the Turkey of the eastern states. It feeds on insects, berries and plant tops, and is specially fond of acorns. The nest is placed on the ground, generally sheltered somewhat, and is lined with leaves, weeds and grass. The eggs, eight to fourteen, are white, dotted with reddish-brown evenly distributed, and measure 2°75 x 1°90. ORDER COLUMB. The Pigeons form a well-marked group, having no close well-defined relationships, except with the Old World Sand-Grouse. They are birds of moderate size with short legs, and toes without a trace of a web. The bill is very character- istic, the distal portion being slightly swollen and hard, and the proximal portion, in which the nostrils open, Band-tailed Pigeon 157 covered by a soft skin, forming what is called a cere. There are eleven primaries ; the number of tail-feathers varies from twelve to twenty; the hind toe, which is always present, is jointed on a level with the other toes. The young, when hatched, are naked and helpless, and are entirely dependent on their parents for some con- siderable time. There are only three Pigeons found in Colorado; they can be distinguished as follows :— Key oF THE SPECIES. A. Large—wing 8 to 9; a rounded tail and a white collar. Columba fasciata, p. 157. B. Smaller—wing 6 to 7. a. Tail wedge-shaped ; black spots on the scapulars. Zenaidura m. carolinensis, p. 159. b. Tailrounded ; a white patch on the wing. Melopelia asiatica, p. 161. Genus COLUMBA. Bill somewhat short and stout; the soft basal portion rounded ; no black spots on the scapulars; tail of twelve feathers about } the length of wing, nearly even, the feathers broad and rounded ; tarsus about half feathered and scutellate. A cosmopolitan genus with a very large number of species ; only two are at all common in the United States. Band-tailed Pigeon. Columba fasciata. A.O.U. Checklist no 312—Colorado Records—Say 23, ii. p. 10; Henshaw 75, p. 429; Drew 85, p. 17; Morrison 89, p. 6; Kellogg 90, p. 87; Lowe 94, p. 267; H. G. Smith 96, p. 65; Cooke 97, pp. 72, 160, 203; Dille 09, p. 87; Henderson 09, p. 228. Description.—Male—Head all round and under-parts lavender-grey, paling to white on the abdomen and under tail-coverts; a narrow white half-collar on the nape ; back slaty-blue becoming dusky on the wings, and with a patch of iridescent green behind the collar; tail with a dusky black transverse band, the terminal portion paler than the back ; eye with a red ring, bill yellow, black at the tip ; legs yellow. Length 14-0; wing 8-25; tail 4-75; culmen -7; tarsus 1-0. The female is like the male but rather duller; the lavender of the head and under-parts is obscured by brown, and the white collar and 158 Birds of Colorado metallic patch are less well developed or even absent ; the young bird is like the female, but has lighter edges to the feathers and no collar or metallic patch. Distribution.—The Rocky Mountain region east to the Pacific, from British Columbia southwards to Guatemala; a summer resident orly north of Arizona and New Mexico. In Colorado the Band-tailed Pigeon is » not uncommon summer resident of rather irregular distribution, chiefly in the mountains from 6,000 to 10,000 feet from Estes Park (Kellogg & Cooke), and the moun- tains about Glenwood (Cooke) southward. Other recorded localities are: A gulch near Gold Hill, Boulder co. (Gale), Mountains above the Platte Valley (Say), Platte Cafion (Smith), South Park, breeding (Carter), Wet Mountain up to 16,000 feet (Lowe), Del Norte (Henshaw), Durango, breeding (Cooke). Habits.—This Pigeon is particularly fond of the acorns of the various kinds of oaks growing in Colorado, and its distribution probably largely depends on the presence of these; but it also eats berries in the summer before the acorns are ripe, and possibly other seeds as well. It generally goes about in smaller or larger flocks, and has an Owl-like hooting note. Morrison is the only Colorado observer who describes the breeding habits ; he found nests both on the ground as well as in scrub-oak bushes; they all contained only one glossy white egg, measuring 1:63 x 109. The nest is a slight platform of twigs on a flat tree limb, while sometimes the nest of another bird is utilized. In some cases two eggs are laid. The egg is described by Bendire as a pointed elliptic alovate, and averages 155 xX 1:10. I have not found any nesting date for Colorado, but in Arizona eggs have been met with every month in the year, and several broods are probably raised. Genus ZENAIDURA. Bill shorter than the head, slender and weak ; a bare space round the eye; tail long, about equal to the wing, of fourteen very strongly graduated feathers, which are tapered and somewhat obtusely pointed ; tarsus not feathered, scutellate; black spots on the scapulars. Mourning Dove 159 This genus contains two slightly differing subspecies, spread over North America and the West Indies respectively. Mourning Dove. Zenaidura macrura carolinensis. A.O.U. Checklist no 316—Colorado Records—Baird 58, p. 604; Allen 72, pp. 152, 159, 181; Aiken 72, p. 208; Henshaw 75, p. 431; Scott 79, p. 96; Tresz 81, p. 188; Stone 81, p. 45; Drew 81, p. 141; 85, p.17; Allen & Brewster 83, p. 197 ; Beckham 85, p. 143 ; Morrison 88, p. 189; 89, p.6; Kellogg 90, p. 87; Lowe 92, p. 101; 94, p. 267; 01, p. 276; Cooke 97, pp. 18, 73, 203; Keyser, 02, p. 43; Dille 03, p. 74; Henderson 03, p. 234; 09, p. 229; Warren 06, p. 20; 08, p. 20; 09, p. 14; Gilman 07, p. 153 ; Markman 07, p. 156 ; Rockwell 08, p. 161. Description.—Male—Above, including the middle tail-feathers, olive- brown, the wing-feathers dusky with a slaty-blue wash and the inner secondaries and scapulars with black spots; outer tail-feathers slaty with a median black bar, and tips of the four outer ones white ; head cinnamon-bluish on the occiput and nape, and a black spot below the ear-coverts ; sides of the neck irridescent pink ; below lavender-pink, becoming cinnamon posteriorly ; iris dark brown, skin round the eye bluish, bill black, legs red, drying yellowish. Length 12-25; wing 6-1; tail 6-0; culmen -6; tarsus -75. The female is a little smaller—wing 5-75, and the colour less bright ; a young bird lacks the iridescence and black spots, and has pale edgings to many of the feathers. Distribution.—North America from southern Ontario and British Columbia to Panama ;a summer resident north; a resident through- out the year south of about 36°. The Mourning Dove is a very abundant summer resident throughout Colorado, in the plains and up to about 7,000 feet. At higher altitudes it becomes much more scarce. It was found breeding at Breckenridge at about 9,500 feet by Carter, while Drew states that it occasionally wanders as high as 12,000 feet. It arrives from the south about the middle of April though often seen earlier, and leaves in September. A few birds doubtless winter in the State; Lowe saw a flock of forty on January 7th, near Beulsh, and Gale states that a certain number winter in Boulder co., while at Grand Junction it has been seen as early as February 26th, and as late as November 2nd (Rockwell). Habits.—This Dove, also frequently known as the Carolina Dove and Turtle-Dove, is of very wide distribu- tion and seems readily to adapt itself to its surroundings. It is found everywhere, but is perhaps most abundant 160 Birds of Colorado in the cotton-woods along the river valleys in the plains and foothills. It is a bird of strong flight, and the rapid strokes of its wings make a whizzing sound. It has a very mournful, cooing note, which soon becomes annoying and tiresome to man, but which appears to gratify its mate. The food consists chiefly of seeds and berries and it doubtless takes a toll of the grain fields. The nesting season begins early, and eggs can be found from the end of May till the beginning of September, and doubtless two or three broods are raised in a season. In the plains the nest is most frequently placed on the ground ; in the mountains, according to Gale, more often in bushes and trees, but the nesting-sites chosen vary very considerably. Two fresh eggs taken by I. C. Hall, and presented to the Colorado College Museum, were found on June Ist near Greeley, in a flat nest of small twigs, placed on a heap of old, dead rushes in a marsh. Gale found nests at the angle where a branch joins a tree-trunk, upon the longitudinal branch of a bunch of undergrowth, upon the crown of an old stump, and upon the ground. The nest is a slight affair of a few twigs and sometimes a little dry grass. The eggs, generally two in number, though often only one, are pure glossy-white, generally nearly oval, and measure about 1'1 x ‘9 Genus MELOPELIA. Bill slender and lengthened, about equal to the tarsus; s bare space round the eye; tail shorter than the wing, of twelve broad, rounded feathers ; tarsus naked and scutellate ; no black spots on the scapulars, but a white patch on the wing. Only one North American species found along the southern border of the United States. White-winged Dove 161 White-winged Dove. Melopelia asiatica. A.O.U. Checklist no 319—Colorado Records—Berthoud 77, p. 83 (M. leucoptera) ; Cooke 97, pp. 73, 160, 203. Description.—Male—General colour above, including the middle tail- feathers, olive-brown; top of the head and neck dull pinkish, an irridescent patch on the sides of the neck and a steely-blue spot below the ear-coverts ; primaries dusky with a narrow white edging; wing with a broad white bar from the carpal joint to the longest coverts ; rump and under-parts bluish; outer tail-feathers slaty-blue, then slaty-black, then squarely tipped with ashy-white ; iris purple, bill black, legs pinkish-purple. Length 12-0; wing 6-5; tail 4-5; culmen and tarsus -87. The female is similar, but smaller and duller coloured. Distribution.—The southern United States from Florida, Texas, New Mexico and Arizona, south to Costa Rica and the West Indies. The White-winged Dove is only of accidental occurrence in Colorado. It is essentially a bird of the hot and dry lower sonoran and tropical zones. Berthoud reported that he saw a flock of a dozen and killed one or two in July, 1869, in Cub Creek in Jefferson co., at timber line—a very remarkable record. Cooke states that one was shot by Mr. A. D. Baker in the Wet Mountain Valley in September, 1889. These are the only known instances of its occurrence. ORDER ACCIPITRES. This order contains the Eagles, Hawks, Vultures, American Vultures or Condors, and other diurnal birds of prey. They are characterized as follows: Bill stout, strong and hooked, with a soft-skinned cere at the base within which open the nostrils; lores generally naked and bristly, never forming a regular ruff or facial disk as in the Owls; eyes not forwardly directed as in the Owls, but looking out laterally as in other birds ; with a few exceptions, wing with ten primaries, tail with twelve rectrices ; legs generally rather short and stout, with three toes in front and one behind, cleft or only basally webbed, provided with strong curved and sharp pointed claws, adapted for grasping their prey. M 162 Birds of Colorado Key or THE FamMities AND GENERA. A. Head and neck naked (Cathartida). Cathartes, p. 163. B. Head and neck feathered. a. Outer toe not reversible, claws never all the same length (Falconide). al Large; wing over 17-0. a? Tarsus feathered to the bases of the toes. Aquila, p. 181. b? Tarsus feathered about half way down. Halizetus, p. 183. bt Smaller; wing less than 17. a® Nostrils rounded, with a bony tubercle, edge of bill distinctly toothed. Falco, p. 184. b? Nostrils without « bony tubercle; edge of bill never toothed, though often festooned. a? Legs with the tibia always exceeding the tarsus. at Only the outer two primaries emarginate on the inner web. a5 Tail forked to half its extent; tarsus reticulate throughout. Elanoides, p. 165, b> Tail about even; tarsus with transverse scutes in front. Ictinia, p. 165. b* Three to five of the outer primaries emarginate. ab Face with an Owl-like ruff; tarsus with scutes anteriorly and posteriorly. Circus, p. 166. b> Face without ruff. a® Tarsus half feathored, with scutes in front only. Buteo, p. 173. b® Tarsus feathered to the toes. Archibuteo, p. 178. b? Legs with the tibia and tarsus about equal. at Tarsus feathered about +; middle toe very long, without claw exceeding the outer toe with claw. Accipiter, p. 168. bt Tarsus feathered about 4; middle toe shorter, without claw not exceeding the outer toe with claw. -Astur, p. 171. b. Outer toe reversible, claws all approximately the same length (Pandionide). Pandion, p. 192, Family CATHARTID&Z. Head and neck naked; bill hooked, comparatively weak ; nostrils large, oval and completely pervious owing to the absence of the inter-nasal septum ; toes long, basally webbed ; claws rather weak, slightly curved and Turkey-Vulture 163 obtuse ; hind toe slightly elevated above the level of the others. Genus CATHARTES. Characters of the family: tarsus long, naked and covered with reticulated scales. Several species of Turkey-Vultures are recognized, but only one occurs in the United States. Turkey-Vulture. Cathartes aura septentrionalis. A.O.U. Checklist no 325—Colorado Records—Allen 72, pp. 152, 159, 181; Tresz 81, p. 188; Drew 81, p. 141; 85, p.17; Allen & Brewster 83, p. 197; Beckham 85, p. 143; Morrison 88, p. 139; 89, p. 7; Lowe 92, p. 101; 94; p. 267; Cooke 97, pp. 18, 73 ; Henderson 05, p. 235 ; 09, p. 229; Warren 06, p. 20; 08, p. 20; 09,p.14; Gilman 07, p. 154; Markman 07, p. 156; Rockwell 08, p. 161; Hersey & Rockwell 09, p. 116. Description.—Adult—Plumage black throughout, glossy in parts, and some of the feathers edged with dark brown; wing and tail-feathers ashy below ; iris brown, bill white, head and neck naked but for a few bristles, crimson to pale carmine; feet flesh-coloured. Length 27; wing 20-0; tail 10-5; culmen with cere 2-0; tarsus 2-25. The female resembles the male, but is slightly smaller ; young birds are darker than adults and have the bill and skin of head dark; nestlings are covered with white down. Distribution.—From, southern New England, Manitoba and British Columbia southwards to the Mexican border, where it merges with a smaller subspecies found throughout Central America and the West Indies. In Colorado the Turkey-Vulture is a fairly common summer resident, both in the plains and mountains up to 12,000 feet, at which elevation it was noted by Morrison in La Plata co., and by Lowe in the Wet Mountains. It is specially abundant, according to Rockwell, in the Plateau Valley of Mesa co., where it arrives normally about April 15th, though at a lower elevation at Grand Junction it has been seen as early as March 18th and as late as September 27th. To the east of the mountains it arrives about the same time. Other localities are : Weld co. (Markman), Boulder co. (Henderson), Barr, not uncommon (Hersey & Rockwell), El Paso and Fremont cos. (Aiken coll.), Baca, Las Animas and Routt cos. (Warren) ; it appears to be generally distributed. Habits.—The Turkey-Vulture, more commonly known as the “ Buzzard ” or “ Turkey-Buzzard,” is a carrion M 2 164 Birds of Colorado feeder and a scavenger, and in the south is a most valuable aid to sanitation. When a carcass is found, the Buzzards assemble and gorge themselves to repletion ; they retire to a perch close by to roost and digest, and return again and again until the bones are picked quite clean. When in the air they sail and circle high with out- spread wings, on the look-out for a meal. They have no note or cry beyond a hissing, wheezy sound. Buzzards, though not usually gregarious, often use a common roosting-place—Rockwell describes such a roost in a grove of trees on Plateau Creek, where he has seen as many as fifty of these birds assembled at night time. Morrison found them breeding in the La Plata mountains at an elevation of about 12,000 feet. The nest was merely a ledge in the cleft of a broken boulder on the mountain side; there were two eggs of a dirty-white colour, blotched with reddish-brown, these measured 2°73 x 1°95 and 2°70 x 1°91 respectively. The eggs were much soiled and the whole surroundings of the spot loathsome and evil-smelling. Dennis Gale is the other observer who has found the Buzzard breeding in Colorado. He reports that he saw several nesting in cotton-wood trees on the Little Thompson, with Blue Herons. They were probably making use of the nests of the Herons, though Gale, in his notes, does not dis- tinctly say so. This was on April 16th. Family FALCONIDZ. Head and neck never naked (in the New World forms) ; bill generally stout, strong and hooked, with a cere or soft cushion at the base within which the nostrils open ; nostrils never pervious ; wings with ten primaries, tail of twelve rectrices with rare exceptions; feet strong, toes cleft or only webbed at the extreme base, the Swallow-tailed Kite 165 outer one never shorter than the inner one, and never reversible ; hind toe not elevated above the others. For key of the genera, see p. 162. Genus ELANOIDES. Bill rather weak ; nostrils oval and oblique; wings long, acute and pointed, tenth (outer) primary about equal to sixth, ninth and tenth longest ; two outer primaries emarginate on the outer web; tail very long, often nearly equal to wing; very strongly forked; the outer feathers about twice the length of the central pair; tarsus short, half feathered, elsewhere with reticulate scales. This genus contains only one species. Swallow-tailed Kite. Hlanoides forficatus. A.O.U. Checklist no 327—Colorado Record—Cooke 97, pp. 73, 160. Description.—Male—Head and neck all round, a band across the rump and the whole of the under-parts, including the under wing- and under tail-coverts, white; back, wings and tail glossy black with greenish lustre ; iris black, bill bluish-black, cere and legs bluish. Length 20-5; wing 15-75; tail 10-5 up to 14:0; culmen -9; tarsus 1-3. The female is larger—wing 17-0. Young birds have white tips to some of the wing- and tail-feathers, and the head with narrow brown shaft-lines. Distribution.—Chiefly met with in the middle and southern United States, from Minnesota and Virginia south through Texas and Mexico to South America. The Swallow-tailed Kite is a very rare straggler in Colorado, and has been met with only by Aiken. He saw one at Leadville in August, 1871; and the same month in 1877, two were brought to him in the flesh; one of these was killed close to Colorado Springs, and is now in the Colorado College Museum ; the other at Manitou Park in Teller co., at about 7,700 feet. Genus ICTINIA. Bill moderate, edge of upper mandible slightly lobed; nostrils circular; wing long; eighth primary longest ; the tenth (outer) about equal to the fourth ; two outer primaries emarginate on the inner web ; tail nearly even ; tarsus half feathered with a row of transverse scutes in front. A genus containing two species, confined to temperate and tropical America. 166 Birds of Colorado Mississippi Kite. Ictinia mississippiensis. A.O.U. Checklist no 329—Colorado Record—Cooke 97, pp. 73,3160. Description.—_Male—Head, neck, secondaries and under-parts greyish- white, rest of the upper-parts bluish-slate, becoming black on the primaries and tail; wing-quills with a narrow indistinct stripe of chestnut-rufous on the outer webs and larger spots of the same on the inner ; bases of the feathers of the head, neck and under-parts white, and often showing through; concealed white spots on the scapulars ; iris lake-red; bill, cere and claws black; feet red. Length 14-15; wing 11-50; tail 6-60; culmen -90; tarsus 1-35. 3 The female is larger—wing 11-75; it has the head and secondaries darker, and less chestnut-rufous on the primaries. An immature bird has the head streaked black and white, whiter on the throat; the back, wings and tail with tawny or white edges and the lower-parts whitish, heavily streaked with rusty-rufous; iris and feet brownish. Distribution.—The south-eastern United States from southern Illinois and South Carolina to Texas, Mexico and Guatemala; not uncommon in southern Kansas. This Kite is a straggler in Colorado, Breninger informed Cooke that an example taken near Trinidad was preserved in Denver, and Aiken reports that he once observed an example near Colorado Springs. Genus CIRCUS. Face rather Owl-like, surrounded by an incomplete ruff ; bill strong, beset by bristles; the edge of the upper mandible lobed, but hardly toothed ; nostrils oval; wings long, the outer primary shorter than the fourth, the seventh and eighth the longest; the outer three to five primaries emarginate on the inner web ; tail long about 2 of wing, almost even; legs long, tarsus clearly exceeding the middle toe and claw, but shorter than the tibia, with scutes before and behind. A widely spread genus found all over the world, with one species only in the United States. Marsh-Hawk. Circus hudsonius. A.0.U. Checklist no 331—Colorado Records—Allen 72, pp. 152, 159 ; Tresz 81, p. 188; Drew 81, p. 141; 85, p. 17; Allen & Brewster 83, p. 197; Beckham 97, p. 121; Morrison 89, p. 7; Lowe 94, p. 267; Cooke 97, pp. 73, 204; Henderson 03, p. 235; 09, p. 229; Warren 06, p.20; 08, p.20; 09, p.14; Gilman 07, p. 153 ; Rockwell 08, p. 161. Description—Male—Above silvery or bluish-ash, seldom pure, nearly always obscured by dusky and traces here and there of the juvenal tawny ; upper tail-coverts white, wing-quills chiefly dusky with white bases; tail banded more or less distinctly with dusky, the terminal one most distinct; below, the throat and breast slightly ashy Marsh-Hawk 167 posteriorly white with a few pale rufous spots; iris brown, bill horny, cere greenish-yellow, legs yellow. Length 18; wing 13-5; tail 8.5; culmen 2.9; tarsus 1.0. An adult female is larger—wing 15; and is dark umber-brown above, varied with reddish and yellowish-brown; but the tail-coverts are white, and form a conspicuous mark ; underneath paler tawny streaked with darker. Young birds resemble the female, and are often darker, but the tail-coverts are always white. Distribution. Breeding from Alaska and Hudson Bay to about the southern border of the United States; wintering in the southern United States and further south to Panama and Cuba. The Marsh- Hawk is a very common, bird in Colorado, especially on the plains, where it breeds. It is not quite so numerous in the mountains, though it nests up to about 8,000 feet, and wanders as high as 14,000 feet. It may be considered a summer visitor, though undoubtedly a few birds winter in the plains. The following are chief records: Boulder co., wintering in, the valley, nesting in hills and plains (Gale & Henderson); Breckrenridge, breeding at 8,000 feet (Carter) ; Orchard, March (Warren); El Paso co., February and August (Aiken, coll.) ; Wet Mountains, up to 10,000 feet (Lowe); Baca co., very common; Routt co., occasionally (Warren) ; Mesa co., fairly common, April to November (Rockwell) ; San Juan co., up to 14,000 feet in September (Drew). Habits.—The Marsh-Hawk frequents meadows and marshy districts, beating to and fro near the surface of the ground with an easy and graceful flight and search- ing for its prey. This consists largely of small rodents, ground-squirrels and meadow mice, and to a lesser extent of frogs, insects and small birds. Occasionally when hard pressed it will take carrion or dead and wounded birds shot by gunners. The nest is always placed on the ground, usually in or near a marsh, and is sheltered by a tuft of grass or a bush ; it is a simple structure of dry grass and a few sticks, roughly thrown together, though when used for several successive years, a considerable amount of The eggs are usually 4 to 6 in number; they are greenish- material is accumulated. blue to bluish-white and generally unmarked, though 168 Birds of Colorado sometimes blotched and spotted with buffy or brown. They average 1°80 x 1°40. The male assists the female in the construction of the nest, the incubation of the eggs and the rearing of the young. According to Gale, fresh eggs should be looked for near Gold Hill from May 25th to June 10th, but the notices of the breeding of the Marsh-Hawk in Colorado are very scanty. Genus ACCIPITER. Bill moderate or rather small, edge of the upper mandible slightly festooned ; nostrilsrounded ; wing rather short, the five outer primaries emarginate on the inner web, the sixth and seventh the longest; tail long, about 2 of wing, slightly rounded; legs long, tarsus feathered about 3, rather slender, with scutes in front and behind, often fusing to one long *‘ boot ” ; middle toe very long, without claw, clearly exceeding the outer toe with claw. A large, almost cosmopolitan genus of some thirty species; only two occur in the United States. Key oF THE SPECIES. A. Smaller; wing 6 to 8-5; tail even. A. velox, p. 168. B. Larger; wing 9 to 11; tail rounded. A. cooperi, p. 170. Sharp-shinned Hawk. Accipiter velox. A.O.U. Checklist no 332—Colorado Records—Ridgway 73, p. 186 (Nisus fuscus); Drew 81, p. 141; 85, p. 17; Allen & Brewster 83, p. 197; Morrison 87, p. 27; 88, p. 115; 89, p. 7; Lowe 94, p. 267; Cooke 97, pp. 74, 204; Henderson 03, p. 235; 09, p. 229; Warren 06, p- 10; 09, p.14; Gilman 07, p. 154; Rockwell 08, p. 161; Hersey & Rockwell 09, p. 116. Description.—Male—Above dark slaty-blue, dusky on the quills, the tail with four cross-bands of dusky and a narrow terminal edging of whitish ; nape-feathers and scapulars with concealed white bases; below white, the middle parts mottled in irregular cross-bars with pale tawny ; quills strongly banded below with black and white ; tail square ; iris yellow, bill bluish-horn, cere greenish, legs yellow. Length 12-0; wing 7-3; tail 5-75; culmen -6; tarsus 1-8. The female resembles the male but is larger; length 13-5; wing 8-5. A young bird is dusky brown above with tawny edges to most of the feathers, and the white of the head and scapulars often showing through ; below white, with longitudinal stripes of brown and darker brown shaft-marks. Sharp-shinned Hawk 169 Distribution.—The whole of North America, breeding from Alaska and Hudson Bay and Newfoundland south to the southern border of the United States; wintering from about 40° N. to Guatemala. The Sharp-shinned Hawk is a common bird throughout Colorado from the plains to about 10,000 feet in the mountains, though chiefly breeding in the latter. A few birds are resident throughout the year, but the greater number are migrants from the south. The following are the principal notices of its occurrence: Boulder co., resident in the valley, breeding in the mountains (Gale) ; Breckenridge, breeding (Carter); Barr Lake, common on migration (Hersey & Rockwell) ; El Paso co., March and April (Aiken coll.) ; Manitou Park, October (Colorado Coll. Mus.); Baca co., May (Warren); Wet Moun- tains, common to 10,000 feet (Lowe) ; Mesa co., breeding, not known to winter (Rockwell); La Plata co., breeding (Morrison). Habits.—This is one of the most abundant of Hawks throughout the United States, and nothwithstanding its small size is well known for its dash and boldness. It preys almost entirely on other birds, often tackling species as large or larger than itse]f, such as Mourning Doves, Robins and Grackles ; it has a special predilec- tion for young chickens, and unless checked will clear a poultry-yard in a very short time. It is impossibie to regard it as useiul or beneficial, except that it destroys large numbers of young sparrows. Its flight is very swift, and it will dash on its prey in the air, on the ground or even when sheltered in a bush. Morrison found a clutch of three eggs on June 22nd, 1886, near Fort Lewis; an old Magpie’s nest, the roof of which had collapsed, was made use of, a few leaves and feathers having been added to form a lining. It was twelve feet above the ground. The eggs are described as white with a purplish tinge, heavily blotched with brown, in one case so as to form a complete cap to the end of the egg. Bendire states that the usual nest is a bulky one, placed in a fir tree or occasionally on cliffs. The eggs, four or five in number, vary considerably ; they are 170 Birds of Colorado sometimes almost unmarked, and sometimes so heavily blotched as to conceal the ground-colour. They average 1-4 x 1:2. Gale gives the usual date for eggs June 10th to July 10th; the latter at 11,000 feet elevation in Boulder co. Cooper’s Hawk.