Widmann — A Preliminary Catalog of the Birds of Missouri. 197 



29th in most parts of southern Missouri, and the last of the 

 month, or more commonly in the first week in May, in northern 

 Missouri. The females are always a few days behind the males, 

 and full numbers, including birds of the second year in not yet 

 fully matured dress, are not present before the middle of May. 

 Transients, particularly small troops of singing males, swell 

 their numbers in May, when the species is one of the most 

 conspicuous among songsters. Exceptionally, a pair has been 

 seen feeding young unable to fly as late as September 12, 1905, 

 but as a rule the species has left the breeding grounds at the end 

 of August and retired to out-of-the-way places to molt, at which 

 period the males present a curiously spotted appearance. Tran- 

 sients in flocks, all in brown, are with us in the bottoms early 

 in September, and birds in different stages of molt are numerous 

 to the end of the month, but are gone soon after the first of Octo- 

 ber, though occasionally found in large numbers to the second 

 week of that month. In especially favored localities some have 

 been knowm to linger even longer. Latest for St. Louis, October 

 17, 1885. 



599. Cyanospiza amoena (Say). Lazuh Bunting. 



Emberiza amoena. Fringilla amoena. Spiza amoena. Passerina amoena. 



Geog. Dist. — Western United States and British Columbia; 

 north to Idaho, Montana; east to South Dakota, western Ne- 

 braska, western Kansas; in winter to Mexico. 



This species must be regarded as an accidental visitor to 

 Missouri, though mentioned by G. S. Agersborg as occurring in 

 summer and probably breeding in eastern South Dakota (Auk 

 vol. 2, p. 281), and has been taken twice in eastern Nebraska 

 east of the 97 meridian. It enters the list of Missouri birds on 

 the strength of two specimens, a male and a female, taken at 

 St. Joseph out of a flock of young birds, September 13, 1894, 

 by Mr. Sidney S. Wilson. 



[601. Cyanospiza ciris (Linn.). Painted Bunting.] 



Emberiza ciris. Passerina ciris. Fringilla ciris. Spiza ciris. Nonpareil. 

 Painted Finch. Pope. 



Geog. Dist.— South Atlantic and Gulf States to western Texas; 

 north to North Carolina, southern Illinois, southern Kansas. 

 In winter to Bahamas, Cuba, Mexico, Central America to Ver- 

 agua ; west in transit to Arizona. 



No record at present of its occurrence in Missouri, but search 



