72 Traus. Acad. Sci. of St. Louis 



Spotto(l Sandpipers froquontinj^ the pol)l)ly islainls. Of 

 gfallinaccoiis Itircls the Bohwliitc was repoato(lly flushed, 

 but being already ])aired tiiey were rather quiet. The 

 Doves were much more in evidence, and often seen and 

 heard. One of the common siprhts were the Turkey Buz- 

 zards, several of which were drawing: their circles over 

 distant hills all day long. A rare sight, because seldom 

 met with so far north as Missouri, was the appearance of 

 two Black Vultures, or Carrion Crows, among a party of 

 Turkey Buzzards on the afterjioon of the Hth at the clul>- 

 house. Of Hawks only two species were noticed, tlie 

 harmless red-shouldered TTawk, which lives chiefly on 

 snakes and frogs, and the Sparrow Ilawk, a ])air of which 

 had their home in a stum)) by the river. The Owl fam- 

 ily was represented only by the Screech Owl, whose soft 

 notes were heai'd at dusk down by the ferry at the edge 

 of the town. The weatherwise Cuckoo, or Kaincrow, was 

 one of the birds often heard, but its wisdom did not ])rove 

 true. At the White Kiver at the foot of town a King- 

 fisher had its home. 



Of the AVoodpeckers five species were observed, the 

 ubiquitous downy, the gaudy redhea<l, the red-bellied 

 and the Hicker, all rather quiet because occupied with 

 family cares. Strange enough, a belated Sapsucker, who 

 spends the winter here, but whose summer home is in the 

 northern states, gave us a surprise, because not expected 

 here so late in the season. 



The true AVhi))poorwill. being a more nortlierii sum- 

 mer sojourner, was not heard, but the Cimck-wills-widow, 

 the southern representative of the family, exten<ls its 

 range into Southern Missouri, and several could be heard 

 every evening, coming even into town under cover of 

 night. About sunset the Xighthawks began to go in 

 search of food, gloats, moscjuitoes and similar quarry, 

 which they sometimes find at great heights, at others over 

 fields or river. The Chimney Swifts, omnipresent com- 

 panions of civilization, had their noisy time of love and 



