Introducing Jared Potter Kirtland

                                       by Harold F. Mayfield

Ornithology in Ohio is fortunate to have inherited a solid foundation left by Jared Potter Kirtland (1793-1877), who prepared the first checklist of the birds of the state in 1838. Dr. Kirtland was a man of many talents who illuminated everything he touched. He was a physician (medical consultant), teacher, and legislator. He is famous as the father of prison reform in Ohio.

He studied birds before prism binoculars were invented and most birds were identified down the barrel of a shotgun. In those days many ornithologists were physicians. Most of them visited patients in their homes, traveling many miles each day, often on country roads by horse and buggy. Many of them were alert to the wild creatures they saw in the woods and fields they passed. At home they had books and dissecting instruments for preparing specimens, and so they left evidence of their findings.

Dr. Kirtland visited many parts of the state and corresponded with naturalists across the land. He was regarded as an authority on all of the animals of the region, particularly the birds and fishes. He made fundamental discoveries about the mussels.

When a strange warbler visited his orchard near Cleveland on 13 May 1851, he sent it to Spencer F. Baird at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, who published a formal description, naming it the Kirtland’s Warbler in his honor.

I           

From A Catalogue of the Mammalia, Birds, Reptiles, Fishes, Testacea, and Crustacea in Ohio, by Jared P. Kirtland, M.D. Assistant Geologist, and Professor of the Theory and Practice of Medicine in the Medical College of Ohio at Cincinnati.


1. Cathartes aura Illiger. {Turkey vulture Cathartes aura} The turkey buzzard is common during the summer, but does not continue in the northern parts of our State during the winter. It formerly nested in considerable numbers on the banks of the Big Beaver, near the line of Pennsylvania and Ohio, within the limits of the former State. Its numbers have greatly diminished within a few years. [Occasional. In 1810 were very common in large flocks. Hundreds. 1863 saw several at White Sulphur Springs, Delaware Co. Not seen now at Cleveland.]

2. Falco fulvus Lin. {Golden eagle Aquila chrysaetos} The golden eagle occasionally visits the shores of Lake Erie, and perhaps the Ohio River. Mr. Dorfeuille has seen a specimen taken within the limits of this State.

3. Falco leucocephalus Lin.  {Bald eagle Haliaeetus leucocephalus} White-headed Eagle. The bald eagle is both a summer and winter resident.

4. Falco Washingtonianus Audubon.  Washington’s hawk(1). Dr. Ward informs me that he once saw a well marked specimen of the Washington eagle on the hills adjacent to the Ohio river. Audubon discovered a pair on Green river in Kentucky. If it be a true species, we probably are entitled to its admission into the list of Ohio birds. [Occasional in Ohio. Common on the upper Lakes. Saw one on beach at Cleveland in 1842.]

5. Falco haliætus Lin. {Osprey Pandion haliaetus} Fish-hawk. [In 1823 common at Poland. Now rare, occasional.]

6. Falco peregrinus Gmel. {Peregrine falcon Falco peregrinus} The great-footed hawk. I once shot a specimen of this beautiful hawk hovering over my orchard in pursuit of a flock of hens. It is the only one I have ever met with. [Once killed a specimen at Poland and one at Cleveland. Latter in Mr. Winslow’s cabinet.]

7. Falco sparverius Lin. {American kestrel Falco sparverius} The sparrow-hawk. This handsome and harmless bird spends only the summer with us, during which it destroys large numbers of snakes, mice and reptiles, but never, I believe, makes any intrusion on our poultry yards. [Common. Winters at Cincinnati. Occasionally winters at Rockport.]

8. Falco Columbarius Lin. {Merlin Falco columbarius} The pigeon-hawk. The true pigeon-hawk is rare, but may be seen early in autumn following the flocks of birds that are gathering for their migrations. [Occasionally seen at Cleveland. 1843 killed a young male. Probably nest on Kidney farm. Is seen during winter.]

9. Falco palumbarius Lin. {Northern goshawk Accipiter gentilis} I have never met with the goose-hawk, but insert it on the authority of Audubon, who says that “it is found in Kentucky, Pennsylvania, Indiana, and at the Falls of Niagara,” of course in Ohio. [Occasional. Mr. Case has one. Prof. Darby has a specimen killed here 1869.]

10. Falco Pennsylvanicus Wilson.  {Broad-winged hawk Buteo platypterus} The broad-winged hawk is common, and breeds in the northern sections of the State. It is the mildest and most gentle in its manners of any of the hawk family. [Common. A few seen every season, 1869.]

11. Falco velox Wilson.  {Sharp-shinned hawk Accipiter striatus} The sharp shinned hawk is equally common with the preceding species, and is the greatest plunderer of the flocks of hens and young turkies that is to be met with among the predaceous birds.

12. Falco furcatus Lin. {Swallow-tailed kite Elanoides forficatus) A few years since the swallow-tailed hawk was to be seen, during the summer, in considerable numbers in Portage and Stark counties. From some unknown cause it has, of late, ceased to visit those localities.  They were probably the northernmost verge of its summer migrations, and the late cold and wet seasons have driven it back into warmer climates. [Formerly common in Portage Co. Still common on the prairies. 1863. One killed near Bucyrus, Crawford Co. None in Ohio in 1869. Nested near Portsmouth in 1850.]

13. Falco Sancti-Johannes Gmel.  {Rough-legged hawk Buteo lagopus} The black hawk is a rare visitor. I have seen only one specimen. [Once saw them passing over in the spring by thousands. A few seen every winter 1864. A second flight seen in 1866 in the spring, thousands.]

14. Falco borealis Gmel.  {Red-tailed hawk Buteo jamaicensis} The red-tailed hawk. This beautiful hawk spends the whole year with us, and may be easily distinguished from any other species both by its plumage and its horrid and unearthly scream. It is comparatively rare. [Nests occasionally on my farm in Rockport—becoming rare 1864. None in 1869.]

15. Falco hyemalis Gmel.  {Red-shouldered hawk Buteo lineatus} The red-shouldered hawk is also a permanent resident with us, and much more common than the red-tailed. [Common at Poland in 1835—nesting. C. Pease, Jr. killed one in Rockport 1863.]

16. Falco cyaneus Lin. {Northern harrier Circus cyaneus} Marsh hawk. I have never met with this species, but am informed by Dr. Sager, assistant geologist of the Michigan geological board, that he has taken them on the Maumee river. [Formerly plenty, rare in 1864, in Rockport. None in 1869.]

17. Falco buteodes Nuttal {sic}. {Red-shouldered hawk Buteo lineatus} The short winged hawk. It is a matter of surprise that this species should have escaped the attention of naturalists until it was discovered by Nuttal {sic}, as it is the largest and one of the most common of the hawks in the northern part of Ohio. [Common, is the young of the Red-tailed(2)]

18. Falco Cooperii Aud.  {Cooper’s hawk Accipiter cooperii} Cooper’s hawk. I killed a pair of this delicate looking hawk in Trumbull County in the autumn of 1837, the only specimens I have ever seen. There seems to be considerable perplexity among naturalists in arranging the several members of this family. It can be easily obviated by attention to their habits, notes and plumage at different ages and stages of moulting. Their specific characters are distinct and well marked.

19. Strix nyctea Lin.  {Snowy owl Nyctea scandiaca} Snow owl. The large white owl sometimes visits this State during severe and long continued cold weather. [A few seen every winter 1864.]

20. Strix Asio Lin. {Eastern screech-owl Otus asio} Mottled owl.

21. Strix Virginiana Gmel.  {Great horned owl Bubo virginianus} Great horned owl. The great horned owl evidently has increased among us within a few years, probably deriving increased means of support from our domestic fowls. It is a bold depredator, but can be easily entrapped. [1864. Still common in my woods.]

[*** Strix otus Lin. {Long-eared owl Asio otus} Long-eared owl. Occasional.]

22. Strix brachyotos Gmel.  {Short-eared owl Asio flammeus} During the past winter, which was severe and continued, the short-eared owl frequently visited the orchards and barn yards, and was easily taken. A flock located themselves in the immediate vicinity of Warren, Trumbull county. [1864. Common at Cleveland.]

23. Strix nebulosa Lin {Barred owl Strix varia} Barred or round-headed owl. [1864. Still common.]

24. Strix Acadica Gmel. {Northern saw-whet owl Aegolius acadicus} Little screech owl. Both this species and the S. asio exist among us, but they are commonly blended together as one under the name of Screech Owl.

25. Psittacus Carolinensis Lin. {Carolina parakeet Conuropsis carolinensis} The Parakeets do not usually extend their visits further north than the Scioto, though I am informed on perhaps doubtful authority, that thirty years since flocks of them were sometimes seen on the Ohio at the mouth of Big Beaver, thirty miles below Pittsburgh. [Were very common at Cincinnati at its first settlement. A few were found at Portsmouth as late as 1830.]

26. Coccyzus Americanus Bonaparte. {Yellow-billed cuckoo Coccyzus americanus} Yellow-billed Cuckoo.

27. Coccyzus erythrophthalmus Bonaparte. {Black-billed cuckoo Coccyzus erythropthalmus} Black-billed Cuckoo.

28. Picus auratus Lin. {Northern flicker Colaptes auratus} Golden-winged Woodpecker.

29. Picus pileatus Lin. {Pileated woodpecker Dryocopus pileatus} Pileated Woodpecker. [Very common in Ohio in 1823. Have seen only 3 about Cleveland.]

30. Picus erythrocephalus Lin. (Red-headed woodpecker Melanerpes erythrocephalus} Red-headed Woodpecker. [Growing scare {sic} in Ohio in 1864.]

31. Picus varius Lin. {Yellow-bellied sapsucker Sphyrapicus varius} The yellow-bellied and the red-headed woodpecker are the only species of this genus that forsake us during winter—all the others are permanent residents. [Has evidently increased of late years. 1864.]

32. Picus Carolinus Lin. {Red-bellied woodpecker Melanerpes carolinus} Red-bellied woodpecker. [Still common at Cleveland 1864.]

33. Picus villosus Lin. {Hairy woodpecker Picoides villosus} Hairy Woodpecker.

34. Picus pubescens Lin. {Downy woodpecker Picoides pubescens}. The sap-sucker. This small bird is one of the most destructive enemies of our orchards. While they are visited by the other species to capture innumerable small insects and worms that infest and injure the trees, this bird appears to be intent on destroying the trees themselves, which it is sure to accomplish in the course of a year or two by encircling their bodies by a series of punctures through the bark. I am inclined to believe with the popular opinion that it does it for the sake of sucking the juices of the trees. It has long been known to people of observation that it always selects those trees in a sugar or maple grove that furnishes the sweetest sugar water, and it has its favorite trees in our orchards, and appears to select them without reference to age, thriftiness or any evident circumstance, but most likely according as they afford palatable food. While the visits of all the other species should be encouraged, even though they should occasionally mutilate or purloin a little fruit, it becomes the farmer and horticulturalist to carry on a war of extermination against the sap-sucker.

35. Picus medianus Swainson. Little woodpecker. The small woodpecker. (3) I have long been familiar with this small species, and considered it a non-descript, till I recently found it noticed in the appendix to Nuttal’s {sic} Ornithology at the close of the 2d vol.

36. Alcedo alcyon Lin. {Belted kingfisher Ceryle alcyon} King-fisher.

37. Sturnus Ludovicianus Lin. {Eastern meadowlark Sturnella magna} Meadow Lark.

38. Icterus Baltimore Daudin. {Baltimore oriole Icterus galbula} Baltimore Oriole.

39. Icterus spurius Bonap. {Orchard oriole Icterus spurius} Spurious Oriole. [1864 Has become common, was formerly very rare.]

40. Icterus Phœniceus Daud. {Red-winged blackbird Agelaius phoeniceus} Red-winged Blackbird.

[*** Icterus icterocephalus, Bonap. {Yellow-headed blackbird Xanthocephalus xanthocephalus} Yellow-headed Troopial. [One killed at Cincinnati.]

41. Icterus pectoris Temmick {sic}. {Brown-headed cowbird Molothrus ater} The cow-bunting is admitted into our catalogue on rather doubtful authority. [1864. Abundant, formerly rare.]

42. Icterus agripennis Bonap. {Bobolink Dolichonyx oryzivorus} Rice-bunting. [Common at Rockport.]

43. Quiscalus versicolor Viellot. {Common grackle Quiscalus quiscula} Crow Black-bird. The black bird is one of the species against which the efforts not only of idle boys, but of our farmers are directed on account of its habits of attacking the Indian corn at the time it is sprouting from the ground. It is somewhat vexatious, to be sure, to have this injury done to our corn crops; but before the farmer engages in the warfare against these birds, he should take into consideration the fact that they save ten times the amount of corn they destroy. They pick up thousands of insects that would do far greater damage.

There are only two short periods while the black birds remain with us that they eat vegetable food: in the spring when the corn is sprouting from the ground, and in autumn when it is mature. The remainder of their summer’s sojourning is spent in rendering us the most essential aid. On opening the stomachs of these and many other insectivorous birds, they will be found to contain great numbers of worms, bugs, and small reptiles; sometimes as many as fifty or sixty may be discovered in the stomach of one individual.

The farmer should recollect that in destroying even one of these birds he is committing a direct injury on his own property as well as injuring community at large. This cause, if no other, should induce parents and guardians who have the charge of idle boys to restrain them from waton {sic} destruction of the feathered tribes. [1864. Rapidly decreasing.]

44. Quiscalus ferrugineus Bonap. {Rusty blackbird Euphagus carolinus} Rusty Grackle. [A few killed every spring.]

45. Corvus corax Lin. {Common raven Corvus corax} The raven sometimes spends the winter as far north as the south shore of Lake Erie. [Occasional. 1864 becoming very rare.]

46. Corvus corone Lin. {American crow Corvus brachyrhynchos} From careful attention to the habits of the crow for many years, I am fully convinced that, like most of the smaller species of birds, it does the farmer far more service by destroying various insects, than injury by its depredations on the corn fields. [Common. 1864 rapidly increasing.]

47. Corvus cristatus Lin. {Blue jay Cyanocitta cristata} Blue Jay.

[*** Bombycilla garrula Viell. {Bohemian waxwing Bombycilla garrulus} Waxen chatterer. Once saw a flock at Cleveland. Common in 1844-5 during winter. 1864 Numerous at Rockport in Jany. Jan’y & Feb. 1864 Large flocks on mountain ash trees, East Rockport. Killed and mounted 2 dozen.]

48. Bombycilla Carolinensis Briss. {Cedar waxwing Bombycilla cedrorum} Cedar-bird

49. Caprimulgus vociferus Wil. {Whip-poor-will Caprimulgus vociferus} The whip-poor-will was formerly common in the northern counties of the State during summer, but for the last three years its notes are rarely if ever heard. The coldness of the weather has probably prevented its reaching so high a latitude.

50. Caprimulgus Virginianus Briss. {Common nighthawk Chordeiles minor} Night-hawk.

51. Cypselus pelasgius Tem. {Chimney swift Chaetura pelagica} Chimney Swallow.

52. Hirundo purpurea Lin. {Purple martin Progne subis} Martin. [In 1823 common in Ohio. 1864 rarely seen about Cleveland.]

53. Hirundo rufa Gmel. {Barn swallow Hirundo rustica} Barn Swallow.

54. Hirundo fulva Viell. {Cliff swallow Petrochelidon pyrrhonota} Congregations of the cliff or republican swallow are now common at the west. In the spring of 1815 a few were first seen by Audubon at Henderson in Kentucky. Four years after, a colony located on the United States buildings at Newport, opposite Cincinnati, and have more recently extended their settlements to several buildings in the west part of the latter city. During the present summer they have built their nests on a barn in the north part of Columbiana county. [1864 becoming common.]

55. Hirundo bicolor Viell. {Tree swallow Tachycineta bicolor}. White-bellied Swallow.

56. Hirundo riparia Lin. {Bank swallow Riparia riparia} Sand Swallow.

[*** Hirundo serripennis Aud.  {Northern rough-winged swallow Stelgidopteryx serripennis} Rough-winged swallow. A few seen every summer at the mouth of Rocky River.]

57. Muscicapa tyrannus Briss. {Eastern kingbird Tyrannus tyrannus} King-bird.

58. Muscicapa crinita Lin. {Great crested flycatcher, Myiarchus crinitus} Crested Fly-catcher.

59. Muscicapa fusca Gmel. {Eastern phoebe Sayornis phoebe} Phoebe.

60. Muscicapa virens Lin. {Eastern wood-pewee Contopus virens} Wood Pewee.

61. Muscicapa acadica Gmel. {Acadian flycatcher Empidonax virescens}.Small Fly-catcher

62. Muscicapa ruticilla Lin. {American redstart Setophaga ruticilla} Red-start.

63. Icteria viridis Bonap. {Yellow-breasted chat Icteria virens} Yellow-breasted Chat.

64. Vireo flavifrons Viell. {Yellow-throated vireo Vireo flavifrons} Yellow-throated Fly-catcher.

65. Vireo Nove Boracensis  Bonap. {White-eyed vireo Vireo griseus} White-eyed Vireo.

66. Vireo gilvus Bonap. {Warbling vireo Vireo gilvus} The warbling vireo, from its small size and retiring habits, escapes the observation of most people, yet it is one of the sweetest of the feathered songsters. Contrary to the usual custom of these birds, a pair once took up their summer residence in an apple tree a few rods from my house, where they nested and reared their young. The male would place himself on the topmost bough of the tree, and from the earliest dawn till the close of day, would pour forth a continued strain of the most melting notes.

67. Vireo olivaceus Bonap. {Red-eyed vireo Vireo olivaceus} Red-eyed Vireo.

68. Lanius septentrionalis Gmel. {Northern shrike Lanius excubitor} The butcher bird Curing the long continuance of the cold in the northern part of our State, this depredator is an occasional visitor, much to the annoyance of the smaller species of birds, which it destroys out of mere wantonness, and leave their bodies hanging upon the boughs of trees. [Common in winter.]

69. Turdus polyglottus Lin. {Northern mockingbird Mimus polyglottos} The mocking bird frequently visits the Miami valley, but is never seen in the northern counties of the State.

70. Turdus felivox Viell. {Gray catbird Dumetella carolinensis} Cat-bird.

71. Turdus migratorius Lin. {American robin Turdus migratorius} Robin.

72. Turdus rufus Lin. {Brown thrasher Toxostoma rufum} Brown thrush.

73. Turdus mustelinus Gmel. {Wood thrush Hylocichla mustelina} Wood Thrush.

74. Turdus minor Gmel. {Hermit thrush Catharus guttatus} Hermit Thrush.

75. Turdus Wilsonii Bonap. {Veery Catharus fuscescens} Wilson’s Thrush.   

76. Sylvia aurocapilla Bonap. {Ovenbird Seiurus aurocapillus} Golden crowned Thrush.

77. Sylvia coronata Latham. {Yellow-rumped warbler Dendroica coronata} The yellow-rump warbler. I have watched with much care for several years the numerous family of small birds comprised in the genus Sylvia, and am happy to be able, by my own observations, to lay before the public so complete a list of its species. Not one is admitted on doubtful authority. I have prepared specimens of all that are enumerated.

A majority of them remain with us only a few days during spring, on their way to the north, where they rear their young. On their return in autumn they do not often stop. A few species, however, spend the summer in this State and retire to the south early in autumn. The yellow-rumped warbler is of the former character. It is one of the most numerous in the spring, but soon disappears.

78. Sylvia maculosa Latham. {Magnolia warbler Dendroica magnolia} The black and yellow warbler is very rare; it is sometimes seen in company with the preceding species. It soon retires to the north. [Very common at Cleveland.]

79. Sylvia maratima {sic} Wilson. {Cape May warbler Dendroica tigrina} The Cape May warbler, Nuttal {sic} says, has “only been seen near the swamps of Cape May, in New Jersey, and near Philadelphia.” I have succeeded in securing three specimens. Its habits are similar to those of the other transitory warblers. I discovered it picking insects from the cherry blossoms.

80. Sylvia pardalina Bonap. {Canada warbler Wilsonia Canadensis} The Canada flycatcher was rather common about a cranberry marsh in Trumbull county, during most of the month of May of the present year.

81. Sylvia virens Lath. {Black-throated green warbler Dendroica virens} The black-throated green warbler is a rare visitor during a few days each spring. It may generally be discovered searching for insects at the opening buds of the sugar trees.

82. Sylvia Blackburniæ Lath. {Blackburnian warbler Dendroica fusca} The Blackburnian warbler. Few of this family equal this bird in the beauty of its plumage. Its stay with us is short, but it often appears in considerable numbers.  

83. Sylvia Nove Boracensis Lath. {Waterthrush sp Seiurus sp. (4) The water thrush appears about our small streams early in the spring, and a few continue during the whole of the summer, though most of this species pass on to the north.

84. Sylvia icterocephala Lath. {Chestnut-sided warbler Dendroica pensylvanica} The chestnut-sided warbler which Audubon met with only in one instance, was rather common in Trumbull county during the last spring. I am inclined to believe it nested in our cranberry marshes, as I saw it on the first of June busily engaged in catching small insects and warbling its mild and soft notes.

85. Sylvia castanea Wil. {bay-breasted warbler Dendroica castanea} The bay-breasted warbler. This is esteemed one of the rarest of the Sylvias. I have however succeeded in taking great numbers during their short visits. They are generally found among the highest limits of our forest trees, early in May.

86. Sylvia striata Lath. {Blackpoll warbler Dendroica striata} The black-poll warbler is rather common about the orchards while the apple trees are in flower. It however remains but a few days.

[*** Sylvicola pinus, Jard. {Pine warbler Dendroica pinus} Pine warbler. Common in Oct 1843 near Cleveland.]

87. Sylvia varia. {Black-and-white warbler Mniotilta varia} The black and white creeper spends the summer with us, and is common.

88. Sylvia œstiva Lath. {Yellow warbler Dendroica petechia} The yellow warbler is another summer resident. It may often be seen weaving its thready nest on the extreme limbs of fruit trees.

89. Sylvia Americana Lath. {Northern parula Parula americana} The delicate, parti-colored warbler in some instances, spends the summer with us. I have repeatedly seen them feeding their young in the month of July.

90. Sylvia Canadensis Lath. {Black-throated blue warbler Dendroica caerulescens} The black-throated blue warbler. This comely looking Sylvia is tolerably plenty for a few days in the spring. Its common resort at that time, is the retired forest, particularly the shadowy evergreens.

91. Sylvia agilis Wil. {Connecticut warbler Oporornis agilis} I have taken only a solitary specimen of the Connecticut warbler, and am not familiar with its habits.

92. Sylvia trichas Lath. {Common yellowthroat Geothlypis trichas} The Maryland yellow-throat breeds in bushy marshes, and its notes are to be heard almost incessantly, in such situations, during the summer.

93. Sylvia azurea Stephens. {Cerulean warbler Dendroica cerulea} The cœrulean warbler must be rare, as I have never met with it except in one instance.

94. Sylvia cœrulea Lath. {Blue-gray gnatcatcher Polioptila caerulea} Blue-gray Fly-catcher.

95. Sylvia Wilsonii Bonap. {Wilson’s warbler Wilsonia pusilla} The black-capt warbler. This bird, with Audubon has classed with the muscicapa or fly-catchers, partakes more of the Sylvias. I have therefore adopted Bonaparte’s arrangement of it. It was common, during the last spring, about the cranberry marshes, where it continued till the middle of May.

96. Sylvia vermivora Lath. {Worm–eating warbler Helmitheros vermivorus} The worm-eating warbler. This species may be seen, during the spring, engaged in seeking food in wet marshes and on the borders of small streams.

97. Sylvia solitaria Lath. {Blue-winged warbler Vermivora pinus} The blue-winged yellow warbler. I have obtained only one specimen of this delicate warbler, and remain ignorant of its habits. [May 11^th 1843. Killed one, in north woods.]

98. Sylvia petechia Lath. {Palm warbler Dendroica palmarum} Yellow-red-poll Warbler

99. Sylvia chrysoptera Lath. {Golden-winged warbler Vermivora chrysoptera} The golden-winged warbler is one of the most delicate and showy of the genus, as well as among the most rare. I captured a few in May last, on the verge of a cranberry marsh. It is only a transitory visitor in Ohio.

100. Sylvia peregrina Wil. {Tennessee warbler Vermivora peregrina} The plain Tennessee warbler was common for two or three days in our orchards while in bloom during the last spring, but its visit was not prolonged beyond that time.

101. Sylvia rubracapilla {sic} Wil. {Nashville warbler Vermivora ruficapilla} I took a solitary specimen of the Nashville warbler in my garden during the last spring, the only one I have ever seen. It was engaged, like most of the members of this family, in catching insects.

[*** Vermivora celata, Jard. {Orange-crowned warbler Vermivora celata} Orange-crowned vermivora. Taken by Mr. Winslow at Cleveland, autumn of 1841.]

102. Saxicola sialis Bonap. {Eastern bluebird Sialia sialis} Blue Bird.

103. Anthus spinoletta Bonap. {American pipit Anthus rubescens} Though the brown lark is probably abundant, at times, in Ohio, I have taken only one specimen. It stops with us while on its way to the north, and on its return.

104. Regulus calendula Step. {Ruby-crowned kinglet Regulus calendula} Ruby-crowned Wren. I have repeatedly taken this and the two succeeding species of wrens, but I consider it questionable whether they are more than varieties. If they be specifically distinct, there is still another species not described, in which the crown is destitute of the colored feathers. I have taken several with this plain character.

105. Regulus cristatus Viell. {Golden-crowned kinglet Regulus
satrapa} Golden-crested Wren. (5)

106. Regulus tricolor Nuttal {sic}. {Golden-crowned kinglet Regulus satrapa} Three-colored Wren.

107. Troglodytes Ludovicianus Bonap. {Carolina wren Thryothorus ludoviciana} The great Carolina wren was common at Cincinnati during the last winter. I have not seen it north of that city.

108. Troglodytes palustris Bonap. {Marsh wren Cistothorus palustris} Marsh Wren.

109. Troglodytes Europæus Leach. {Winter wren Troglodytes troglodytes} Winter Wren.

110. Certhia familiaris Lin. {Brown creeper Certhia americana} Brown Creeper

111. Sitta Carolinensis Briss. {White-breasted nuthatch Sitta carolinensis} White-breasted blk. Capt Nuthatch.

112. Sitta Canadensis Lin. {Red-breasted nuthatch Sitta Canadensis} Red-bellied Nuthatch.

113. Sitta pusilla Lath. {Brown-headed nuthatch Sitta pusilla} The brown headed nuthatch. I once killed a specimen (6) in the northern part of Ohio, though it is usually not seen north of Virginia.

114. Trochilus colubris Lin. {Ruby-throated hummingbird Archilochus colubris} Humming Bird.

115. Parus bicolor Lin. {Tufted titmouse Baeolophus bicolor} Tom-Tit.

116. Parus atricapillus Lin. {Black-capped chickadee Poecile atricapillus} Black-capt Titmouse.

117. Alauda alpestris Lin. {Horned lark Eremophila alpestris} The shore lark is frequently seen late in autumn on the shore of Lake Erie, in the vicinity of Cleveland, and in once instance I met with it in Trumbull county during winter.

118. Emberiza nivalis Lin. {Snow bunting Plectrophenax nivalis} The snow bunting visits us only during the most intense cold weather, when it is compelled to leave its northern haunts in search of food. It may then be seen gathering scattered seeds by the road side or about our barns and gardens. A late voyager gives an account of his having examined a burial crib containing the body of a dead infant, deposited according to the customs of some of the northern Indians. A white snow bird had constructed her nest on the neck of the corpse, and was quietly sitting on her eggs. No one who has read that account can see this delicate looking bird shivering in our winter blasts, without bringing the impressive incident to mind. [Saw one at Rockport Oct 27^th 1845.]

119. Tanagra rubra Lin. {Scarlet tanager Piranga olivacea} Scarlet Tanager.

120. Tanagra æstiva Gmel. {Summer tanager Piranga rubra} The summer red bird is occasionally seen in the southern parts of Ohio, and I have in one instance met with it as far north as Trumbull county.

121. Fringilla cyanea Wil. {Indigo bunting Passerina cyanea} The indigo bird is a summer resident in all parts of the State, and enlivens our gardens by its constant chatterings.

122. Fringilla Americana Bonap. {Dickcissel Spiza americana} The black-throated bunting. My authority for admitting this species into our catalogue is perhaps not sufficient. I however believe it to be an occasional visitor of this State.

123. Fringilla leucophrys Tem. {White-crowned sparrow Zonotrichia leucophrys} and F. Pennsylvanica so closely resemble each other, they they are often considered the same species. By a little attention they can be distinguished from each other. They are both common for a few days in the spring, but neither remain during summer.

124. Fringilla Pennsylvanica Lath. {White-throated sparrow Zonotrichia albicollis} White-throated Sparrow.

125. Fringilla graminea Gmel. {Vesper sparrow Pooecetes gramineus} Bay-winged Bunting.

126. Fringilla melodia Wil. {Song sparrow Melospiza melodia} Song Sparrow.

127. Fringilla hyemalis Lin. {Dark-eyed junco Junco hyemalis} Snow Bird.  The lead-colored snow bird which is seen in such numbers during the winter, does not forsake the State entirely during summer. It breeds in great numbers in the dark beech woods of the Connecticut Western Reserve, and with the approach of cold weather gathers about yards and gardens.

128. Fringilla passerina Wil. {Grasshopper sparrow Ammodramus savannarum} Yellow-shouldered Finch.

129. Fringilla Canadensis. Lath. {American tree sparrow Spizella arborea} Tree Sparrow.

130. Fringilla socialis Wil. {Chipping sparrow Spizella passerina} Chipping Sparrow.

131. Fringilla pusilla Wil.  {Field sparrow Spizella pusilla} Field Sparrow.

132. Fringilla palustris Wil.  {Swamp sparrow Melospiza georgiana} Swamp Sparrow.

133. Fringilla tristis Lin. {American goldfinch Carduelis tristis}. Yellow bird.

134. Fringilla  linaria Lin. {Common redpoll Carduelis flammea} The lesser red poll. Two winters since a large flock of this very rare bird continued in my garden and the adjacent fields for nearly three months, and finally disappeared at the approach of mild weather. I have never met with the species at any other time. Some of the males were as richly tinged with carmine, as the most showy of the purple finches.

135. Fringilla iliaca Merrem. {Fox sparrow Passerella iliaca} Fox-colored Sparrow.

136. Fringilla erythropthalma {sic} Lin. {Eastern towhee Pipilo erythrophthalmus} Towhe Bunting.

137. Fringilla cardinalis Bonap. {Northern cardinal Cardinalis cardinalis} The cardinal gross-beak. This handsome bird was hardly known on the Western Reserve until within the last three or four years. It has now become common and is a winter resident there.

[*** Coccothraustes vespertinus Cooper. {Evening grosbeak Coccothraustes vespertinus} Evening grosbeak.  1 killed at Rockport by C. Pease jr., in March. Is now in my collection 1864. I saw a flock there.]

138. Fringilla Ludoviciana Bonap. {Rose-breasted grosbeak Pheucticus ludovicianus} The rose-breasted gross-beak is not only a showy and splendid bird, but one of the most animated songsters. During the spring and early summer months, the vicinities of the cranberry marshes are constantly serenaded by it. We have no bird that sings with so much hilarity. Its notes are not as various as those of the mocking bird, but far surpass them in animation. It sings at all hours of the night as well as during the day. If it were a native of Europe, I am confident its reputation would stand much higher than the nightingale, as it combines so much beauty of plumage with its musical talents.

In the south part of Ohio it is rarely seen, but is a common bird on the shores of Lake Erie and in the adjoining counties.

139. Fringilla purpurea Gmel. {Purple finch Carpodacus purpureus} The purple finch. I presume this high-colored finch must occasionally breed in Ohio, as I saw several at Kinsman on the last of June of the present year. [Breeds at Kinsman O. Occasionally visits Rockport in winter and spring.]

[*** Corythus enucleator, Bonap. {Pine grosbeak Pinicola enucleator}Pine Finch.  Several were killed in Feb 1843 in the vicinity of Cleveland.  A few since.]

140. Loxia curvirostra Lin. {Red crossbill Loxia curvirostra} Common Crossbill. I have not succeeded in obtaining a specimen of the cross-bill, but I believe it is sometimes seen in the county of Ashtabula. [1864 Jany. C. Pease killed a male, apparently mated with a female, with a white-winged female (vid specimens).]

[*** Loxia leucoptera Gmel. {White-winged crossbill Loxia leucoptera} White-winged crossbill. Saw a male at Rocky River. C. Pease killed a female Jany 1864.]  

141. Columba Carolinensis Lin. {Mourning dove Zenaida asiatica} Mourning Dove.

142. Columba migratoria Lin. {Passenger pigeon Ectopistes migratorius} Passenger Pigeon.

143. Meleagris gallopavo Lin. {Wild turkey Meleagris gallopavo} Wild Turkey. [A few remaining at Rockport. For sale daily in Cleveland.]

144. Perdix virginiana Lath. {Northern bobwhite Colinus virginianus} Quail or Patridge {sic}. [Rare at Rockport for several years. Common again 1863.]

145. Tetrao umbellus Lin. {Ruffed grouse Bonasa umbellus} Ruffed Grouse. [A few left in 1864.]

146. Tetrao cupido Lin. {Greater prairie-chicken Tympanuchus cupido} Praire-Hen {sic}. The prairie hen is found in considerable numbers in the northwestern parts of our State. [A few about Sandusky Bay in 1847.]

147. Tetrao Canadensis Lin. {Spruce grouse Falcipennis canadensis} Spotted Grouse. I have been informed that a bird (7)  answering the description of the Canada grous {sic} has been killed on the shores of Lake Erie, but have not been able to obtain a specimen, or even any very authentic account of it.

[*** Charadrius arenaria Illiger. {Sanderling Calidris alba} Sanderling plover. Very common at Cleveland Sept 1829. Also is occasionally seen flocks upon the sand-beach in the spring.]

148. Charadrius semi-palmatus Bonap. {Semipalmated plover Charadrius semipalmatus} The ringed plover is occasionally seen in the vicinity of Lake Erie and sometimes in the interior of the State. [Common at Cleveland early in Sept 1839.—Still more common in 1840, both in the spring, and fall.]

149. Charadrius vociferus Lin. {Killdeer Charadrius vociferus} Kildeer.

150. Charadrius pluvialis Lin. {American golden-plover Pluvialis dominica} The golden plover frequently visits us both in its northern and southern migrations. [Common at Cleveland Sept 1839. On the 10^th of Sept 1840 immense flocks passed over the City, going to the South. A few visited the beach for several days afterwards.]

[*** Charadrius melodus Ord. {Piping plover Charadrius melodus} Piping ringed plover. Killed one on the beach at Cleved. Sept 17^th 1839.—also another in the spring of 1840. Very rare.]

151. Charadrius helviticus Bonap. {Black-bellied plover Pluvialis squatarola} Black-bellied Plover. This bird is called the black-bellied killdeer, and is sometimes seen in company with the common species. [Killed one at Cleveland Sept 17^th 1839 in company with some Golden Plovers. Distinguished by its general form and 4^th toe. Visited Cleveland 10 Sept 1840 in considerable numbers, with the Golden Plover.]

152. Strepsilas interpres Ill. {Ruddy turnstone Arenaria interpres} Turnstone. Dr. Sager informs me that the turnstone visits the shores of Lake Erie, and I once saw a specimen taken at the west, but I believe not in the limits of Ohio. [Very common at Cleveland Sept 1839. Occasionally seen in Sept 1840.]

153. Grus Americana Tem. {Sandhill crane Grus canadensis} Hooping or Sand-hill Crane. The sand-hill or whooping crane, the adjutant bird, occasionally visits Ohio. Dr. Ward informs me that two were killed near Roscoe, in Coshocton county in 1837, and the Hon. Calvin Pease also informs me that he once saw a flock of them in Fairfield county in this State (8).

154. Ardea Herodias Lin. {Great blue heron Ardea herodias} Great Heron. [Common. Nests in Boardman on the Yellow Creek. Plumage varies with age and season.]

155. Ardea egretta Gmel.  {Great egret Ardea alba} or great white heron, has been repeatedly taken in Ohio. Dr. Ward has seen it in the vicinity of Chillicothe, and Dr. Hildreth has furnished me with a specimen taken near Marietta. [One was killed in Marietta in 1838 and the skin sent to me by Dr. Hildreth.]

[*** Ardea candidissima Wils. {Snowy egret Egretta thula} Snowy Heron. One was killed at Montgomery {Montgomery’s?—Christy’s gloss}].

156. Ardea discors Wil. {Black-crowned night-heron Nycticorax nycticorax} The night heron. Dr. Ward informs me that a fine specimen was taken on the Scioto a few years since.

157. Ardea minor Wil. {American bittern Botaurus lentiginosus} American Bittern. The brown bittern seems not to be well known at the west; I have, however, specimens of both the old and young, and conclude it breeds on the lake shore, as I saw a number of the half grown young in a marsh at the mouth of the Cuyahoga river on the 1^st of July of the present year.

158. Ardea virescens Lin. {Green heron Butorides virescens} Green Heron.

159. Ardea exilis Wil. Least Bittern. [Common at Cleveland. Breeds in the marsh in Ohio City.]

160. Numenius longirostris Wil. {Long-billed curlew Numenius americanus} The long-billed curlew is an occasional visitor. [A flock visited Cleveland in August 1840.]

161. Numenius Hudsonicus Lath. {Whimbrel Numenius phaeopus} Esquimaux curlew.(9) A specimen of the Esquemaux {sic} curlew, taken in the vicinity of Cincinnati, is contained in Dorfeulle’s {sic} museum. I have one in my own collection presented me by Mr. Hayden from Cleveland. [Mr. Hayden furnished me with a specimen killed at Cleveland in the spring of 1838.]

162. Tringa semipalmata Wil. {Semipalmated sandpiper Calidris pusilla} Semi-palmated Sand-piper.

[***Pisobia fusicollis {sic}{White-rumped sandpiper Calidris fuscicollis}[I have one specimen from Boardman and a second killed in Ohio City.]

163. Tringa Schinzii Brehm. {Dunlin Calidris alpina} Schinz’s Sand-piper. (10) I succeeded in taking two specimens of this rare sand piper in Poland, in September, 1837. 

[*** Tringa subarquata Temm. {Curlew sandpiper Calidris ferruginea} Cape Curlew. I killed a solitary specimen near Vinton’s Distillery, in Ohio City in the fall of 1839. It was in company with Dunlin’s.]

164. Tringa rufescens Viell. {Buff-breasted sandpiper Tryngites subruficollis} Buff-breasted Sand-piper. [Killed 3 or 4 at Cleveland Sept 1829. A flock was also seen in Sept 1840 in Ohio City.]

165. Tringa Wilsonii Nutt. {Least sandpiper Calidris minutilla} Wilson’s Sand-piper.

166. Tringa semi-palmatus Tem. {Willet Catoptrophorus semipalmatus} Audubon considers the willet as exclusively confined to the sea coast, notwithstanding Say saw it in Missouri. On the first day of July of the present year, a flock of more than twenty were seen at Cleveland on the shore of Lake Erie, and continued their visits for several subsequent days. I succeeded in taking one, and have no hesitation in classing it among our Ohio birds. [Not uncommon at Cleveland in the spring, and the young appear here as early as the 3d of July (1840).]

167. Totanus melanoleucus Viell. {Greater yellowlegs Tringa melanoleuca} Great Yellow-shanks.

168. Totanus flavipes Viell. {Lesser yellowlegs Tringa flavipes} Lesser Yellow-shanks.

169. Totanus Bartramius Tem. {Upland sandpiper Bartramia longicauda} Bartram’s tattler. I am informed by Dr. Ward that it is sometimes seen in the Scioto valley.

170. Totanus chlorypygius Viell. {Solitary sandpiper Tringa solitaria}Solitary Tattler. [Common. Breeds in Trumbull Co.](11)

171. Totanus macularius Tem. {Spotted sandpiper Actitis macularia} Spotted Sand-piper.

172. Limosa fedoa Viell. {Marbled godwit Limosa fedoa} A fine specimen of the marbled goodwit was shot at Youngstown in 1837, which I have prepared in my cabinet. This is the only one I have met with in Ohio.

173. Limosa Hudsonica Swain. {Hudsonian godwit Limosa haemastica} Specimens of the Hudson goodwit have been taken near Cincinnati, and one is now in the possession of Mr. Dorfeuille.

174. Scolopax grisea Gmel. {Short-billed dowitcher Limnodromus griseus} Red-breasted snipe. [In Sept 1840 a large flock were seen by me in Cleveland. I shot 5 out of seven.]

175. Scolopax Wilsonii Tem. {Common snipe Gallinago gallinago} Snipe.

176. Scolopax minor Gmel. {American woodcock Scolopax minor} Woodcock.

177. Rallus Virginianus Lin.  {Virginia rail Rallus limicola} Virginia Rail. This species of rail breeds in our marshes.

178. Rallus Carolinus Lin. {Sora Porzana carolina} Carolina Rail. One was taken near Fairport, in the county of Geauga, during the spring of 1837.

179. Rallus nove boracensis Bonap. {Yellow rail Coturnicops noveboracensis} The yellow-breasted rail, Mr. Robert Buchanan informs me, has been occasionally seen in the vicinity of Cincinnati.

180. Gallinula chloropus Lath. {Common moorhen Gallinula chloropus} The gallinule, though considered a southern bird, sometimes extends its visits as far north as Trumbull county, in Ohio. One was taken during the last spring at Warren, and is so nearly domesticated that it associated with the poultry in a barn yard. Dr. Ward informs me that it has been taken in Coshocton county, and Dr. Sager that it visits Michigan.

[*** Fulica americana, Gmel. {American coot Fulica Americana} Cinereous coot. Common, probably breeds in the marsh in Ohio City.]

[*** Phalaropus hyperboreus Lath. {Red-necked phalarope Phalaropus lobatus} Hyperborean phalarope. Homer Blake killed one on the Lake near the pier in 1839. On the 12^th Sept 1840 I shot one on the south end of Vinton’s Distillery in Ohio city. Both were young birds.] 

181. Phalaropus Wilsonii Sabine.  {Wilson’s phalarope Phalaropus tricolor} Wilson’s phalarope. I once met with a flock of this rare bird on Mill creek, in the township of Boardman, in Trumbull county.

182. Recurvirostra Americana Lin. {American avocet Recurvirostra americana} The avocet. This unique bird has been killed by sportsmen in the vicinity of Cincinnati.

183. Sterna aranea Wil. {Gull-billed tern Sterna nilotica}(12) Marsh Tern. I am indebted principally to Audubon and Nuttal {sic} for my authority in classing this and the other species of Teras {sic} and gulls among our Ohio birds. Further investigation will probably add some other species of these genera to our list. [I killed one at Cleveland on the 8^th Sept 1840.]

184. Sterna hirundo Lin. {Common tern Sterna hirundo} Great Tern.

185. Sterna nigra Lin. {Black tern Chlidonias niger} Black Tern.

186. Sterna arctica Temm. {Arctic tern Sterna paradisaea} Arctic Tern. [Killed two at Cleveland in the spring of 1840.]

187. Sterna Dougallii Montfort. {Roseate tern Sterna dougallii} Roseate Tern.

188. Larus capistriatus {sic} Temm. {Bonaparte’s gull Larus philadelphia} Brown masked Gull.

189. Larus atricilla Lin. {Laughing gull Larus atricilla} Black-headed Gull. [Occasionally seen. Two killed at Poland.]

190. Larus argentatus Brunrick. {Herring gull Larus argentatus} Herring Gull.

191. Larus marinus Lin. {great black-backed gull Larus maritima} Black-backed Gull.

192. Larus zonorhynchus Swain. {Ring-billed gull Larus delawarensis} Ring-billed Mew Gull.

[*** Lestris parasitica Temm.  {Parasitic jaeger Stercorarius parasiticus} Arctic jager. A specimen of Richardson’s Jager was taken by Williams & Wright, attacking Wright’s hens at Rockport. Oct 25^th 1857. It was a young bird.]

194. Anser hyperboreus Pallas. {Snow goose Chen caerulescens} Snow-goose. The snow goose occasionally visits the shores of Lake Erie in its migrations. [One was killed at Sandusky—in possession of Mr. Case.]

195. Anser albifrons Bechst. {Greater white-fronted goose Anser albifrons} The white-fronted goose I insert on the implied authority of Audubon.

196. Anser Canadensis Viell. {Canada goose Branta canadensis} Canada Goose. I learn from Dr. Ward that the wild goose frequently spends the winter in the Scioto valley, and becomes so tame as to visit the corn fields in pursuit of food.

197. Anser bernicla Bonap. {Brant Branta bernicla} The Brant goose is not unfrequently seen passing over us in the spring of the year, and it is frequently seen on the lake shore during a few days in the spring.

198. Anas clypeata Lin. {Northern shoveler Anas clypeata} The shoveler duck receives its name from the form of its bill. It occasionally stops for a few days in our waters during spring, while on its way to the remote northern regions.

199. Anas strepera Lin. {Gadwall Anas strepera} The Gadwell is one of the rarest of the migratory ducks that visits this State. It is sometimes seen about the small lakes in the northern parts of Ohio. [I killed two at Cleveland in 1839.]

200. Anas acuta Lin. {Northern pintail Anas acuta} The Pintail is an equally rare and still more shy species that sometimes visits our streams and lakes.

201. Anas boschas Lin. {Mallard Anas platyrhynchos} This beautiful species is the stock from whence was derived our domesticated variety of ducks. It is known as the mallard or green-head. In its native condition it is one of the wildest of the duck family, and its powers of vision are more acute than in any bird with which I am acquainted. It sometimes remains in this State during the whole year.

202. Anas Americana Gmel. {American wigeon Anas americana} The American Widgeon is an elegant bird, and one of the species that should be domesticated, to enlarge our stock of poultry. It visits our streams in considerable numbers on its way to the north.

203. Anas obscura Gmel. {American black duck Anas rupripes} The dusky or black duck is one of the largest of this family of water birds. Its flesh is delicate and much esteemed for eating. I have no doubt it might be profitably domesticated. It is frequently seen in this State both in spring and autumn.

204. Anas sponsa Lin. {Wood duck Aix sponsa} The bride, summer or wood duck, is a resident in every part of the State during most of the year. The male exceeds in delicacy, brilliancy and beauty of plumage, any other Ohio bird. This species is naturally tame and is easily domesticated. Its flesh is esteemed for food.

205. Anas discors Lin. {Blue-winged teal Anas discors} The blue-winged teal sometimes visits our streams in great numbers. Its flesh is excellent for the table, but its size is too small to make it of much importance.

206. Anas crecca Lin. {Green-winged teal Anas crecca} The American or green-winged teal is much more rare than the blue-winged. It is equally esteemed as an eatable bird.

207. Fuligula rubida Bonap. {Ruddy duck Oxyura jamaicensis} The ruddy duck is only an occasional visitor of this State. I have seen only too {sic} specimens of it. The flesh is said to be highly valued for the table.

208. Fuligula vallisnera Steph. {Canvasback Aythya valisineria} Canvassed-backed Duck. The noted canvass-back duck has been seen in a few instances in this State, about the lakes and streams in which the wild rice abounds. I know no reason why it might not be advantageously domesticated.

209. Fuligula ferina Steph. {Redhead Aythya americana} Red-headed Duck. The pochard, or red-head, is so nearly allied in color to the canvass-back that they are often mistaken, one for the other. It is a more frequent visitor of our borders, and is highly valued for the table.

210. Fuligula marilla Steph. {Scaup sp Aythya marila/affinis} The blue-bill (13) is often seen in the spring and autumn, and is the most tame of any of this family. Its flesh is not very palatable, but would, without doubt, improve, if reared among our domestic poultry.

211. Fuligula rufitorques Bonap. {Ring-necked duck Aythya collaris} Ring-necked Duck. The ring-neck is a visitor early in the spring. Its flesh is hardly eatable.

212. Fuligula clangula Bonap. {Common goldeneye Bucephala clangula} Golden-eyed Duck. The golden-eye is an extremely rare species.

213. Fuligula albeola Bonap. {Bufflehead Bucephala albeola} Butter-ball. This harmless and neat little species is very abundant during the fall and spring, and though of no value for eating, is killed in great numbers by boys and idle gunners merely because it can be easily approached.

214. Mergus merganser Lin. {Common merganser Mergus merganser} The goosander is the largest of the duck family that visits our waters. It frequently remains even in the southern parts of the State during the whole of winter, and I believe occasionally breeds there, as I once observed an old one with her young on the shore of Lake Erie in the month of January 1810. There is so great a difference in the appearance of the male and female, that they are often taken for different species.

215. Mergus cuculatus Lin. {Hooded merganser Lophodytes cucullatus} The hooded merganser is one of the earliest visitors that approaches us from the south with the first appearance of spring. Its plumage is showy and handsome.

216. Mergus serrator Lin. {Red-breasted merganser Mergus serrator} Red-breasted merganser. This species of merganser is more beautiful. It is the last of the migratory species of duck to visit us in spring, and makes but a short tarry. Like the other species of merganser, its flesh is not eatable.

217. Cygnus musicus Bescht. {Tundra swan Cygnus columbianus} Swan.(14) The swan is not unfrequently seen both on the Ohio and the shores of Lake Erie during spring and fall.

218. Pelicanus onocrotalus Lin. {American white pelican Pelecanus erythrorhynchos} The pelican is an occasional visitor.

219. Podiceps cristatus Lath. Crested Grebe. (15) I have seen within our limits all the species of this family enumerated in this catalogue.

220. Podiceps rubricollis Lath. {Red-necked grebe Podiceps grisegena} Red-necked Grebe. [Occasionally visits our waters.]

221. Podiceps cornutus Lath. {Horned grebe Podiceps auritus} Horned Grebe. [A large flock visited the Mahoning River in the spring of 1938. I killed several specimens.]

222. Podiceps carolinensis. {Pied-billed grebe Podilymbus podiceps} Pied Grebe.

223. Colymbus glacialis Lin. {Common loon Gavia immer} The loon, or great northern diver, frequently visits our rivers during the spring. It seems to rise with great difficulty when it attempts its flights from the water, but when on land its efforts are entirely unsuccessful.   I have known several instances during the last fifteen years when they have been picked up on land a short time after a heavy storm, having probably been driven either from the Ohio river or the lake by the violence of the wind.

Bibliography

Barrows, W. B. 1912. Michigan Bird Life. Michigan Agricultural College, Lansing.

Christy, B. H. 1936. Kirtland Marginalia. The Cardinal, Vol IV, No. 4, July 1936:  77-89.

Dawson, W. L. 1903. The Birds of Ohio. 2 vol. Wheaton Publishing Co., Columbus.

Hicks, L. E. 1937. Notes on ‘Kirtland Marginalia.’ The Cardinal, Vol IV, No 5, January 1937: 109-116.  

Jones, L. 1903. The Birds of Ohio: A Revised Catalogue. Ohio State Academy of Science Special Papers No 6.

Kirtland, J. P. 1838. Report on the Zoology of Ohio. In Mather, W.W. 1838. Second Annual Report on the Geological Survey of Ohio, pp 157-200. Samuel Medary, Columbus.

Kirtland, J. P. 1841. Fragments of natural history, Article II. American Journal of  Science and Arts 50:19-24. [Reprinted in Wheaton 1882.]

Mayfield, H. F.1965. Jared Potter Kirtland, Pioneer ornithologist of Ohio. Department of  Natural History, Ohio Historical Society, Columbus.

Nuttall, T. 1832-1834. Manual of Ornithology. Hilliard & Brown, Cambridge, MA.

Peterjohn, B. G., R. Hannikman, J. Hoffman, and E. Tramer. 1987. Abundance and Distribution of the Birds of Ohio. Ohio Biological Survey Biological Notes No. 19. 

Wheaton, J. M.1882. Report on the Birds of Ohio. Ohio Geologic Survey Bulletin 4:187-628.
 

Courtesy of the research of The Ohio Cardinal