Widmann — A Preliminary Catalog of the Birds of Missouri. 259 



remaining until October 15, after which date the species becomes 

 scarce, and the last disappear between October 20 and 25 

 (October 26, 1889, Independence; October 25, 1894, Keokuk), 



*751. PoLioPTiLA CAERULEA (Linn.). Blue-gray Gnatcatcher. 



Miiscicapa caerulea. Culicivora caeridea. 



Geog. Dist. — Eastern United States and southern Ontario, 

 north to New Jersey, Pennsylvania, southern Michigan, southern 

 Wisconsin, and eastern Nebraska. Breeds from Florida and 

 southern Texas northward and winters from the Gulf States, 

 Bahamas, Cuba and eastern Mexico to Yucatan and Guate- 

 mala. 



In Missouri a summer resident, less common in the prairie 

 region, but common throughout the Ozarks and Ozark border 

 region as well as in the swamps of the southeast and in the bluffs 

 and bottoms along rivers. It begins to arrive in the southeast, 

 sometimes also in central Missouri, in the latter part of March 

 (March 18, 1904, Iberia, Miller Co.; March 25, 1907, St. Louis). 

 On account of the very uncertain weather in early April the first 

 appearance at its breeding stands varies considerably and its 

 ranks fill up slowly. In some years it has not been seen at St. 

 Louis before the end of the second week in April, when, as a rule 

 the bulk is due in central Missouri. The earUest date at our 

 northern border is April 12, 1903, and the latest of "firsts" 

 April 29,1894; and the same variations occur at every record- 

 station (Mt. Carmel, April 5, 1885, and April 24, 1886). In fall 

 the species withdraws from breeding haunts comparatively early, 

 as it is quite rare after the first week of September, though occa- 

 sionally loiterers have been noted much later, as September 

 25, 1885, at St. Louis; September 30, 1903, at New Haven; 

 October 1, 1904, at Monteer, Shannon Co. 



Family Turdidae. Thrushes, Bluebirds, etc. 

 Subfamily Turdinae. Thrushes. 

 *755. Hylocichla mustelina (Gmel.). Wood Thrush, 



Turdus mustelinus. Turdus melodus. 



Geog. Dist. — Eastern United States and Ontario; north to 

 Massachusetts, southern Michigan, central Wisconsin and Minne- 

 sota; west to eastern Nebraska, eastern Kansas and Texas. 



