Widmann — A Preliminary Catalog of the Birds of Missouri. 123 



turn followed by a rearguard of loiterers. As the weather con- 

 ditions in early spring do not follow any prescribed rules, but on 

 the contrary are subject to great irregularities, considerable 

 variations in the time and length of passage occur; in some 

 years the last Sapsucker has passed through by the middle of 

 April, in others the bulk does not come before that time and the 

 "lasts" remain to the end of the month and sometimes even into 

 May. Their transit through Missouri in the fall is less conspicu- 

 ous. The "firsts" are dropping in during the latter part of 

 September, but we are more likely to meet with them early in 

 October, when for a week or two they may be met with most 

 anj^where. Few linger to the end of the month and after the 

 first week in November winter numbers only are with us. From 

 St. Louis northward in the bottoms of the Mississippi flood plain 

 a few breed; Mr. Julius Hurter found a nest with young near 

 St. Louis, and Mr. E. T. Currier in Clark Co. A suspiciously 

 late date is contributed from Shannon Co. by Mr. E. S. Wood- 

 ruff, May 9, 1907, a whole fortnight after the last transient had 

 gone, the transit of the species taking place from March 21 to 

 April 24. Another late record for southern Missouri is one made 

 by the writer at Branson, Taney Co., May 10, 1906. 



*405. Ceophloeus pileatus (Linn.). Southern Pileated Wood- 

 pecker. 



405a. Ceophloeus pileatus abieticola Bangs. Northern 

 Pileated Woodpecker. 



Picus pileatus. Hylotovms pileatus. Cock-of-the- Woods. Log-cock. Black 

 Woodcock. 



Geog. Dist. — The former range of the Pileated Woodpecker 

 included all of North America south of the 63° lat. except the 

 southern Rocky Mountains; at present restricted to the less 

 settled and more heavily wooded districts, and therefore rare 

 in the Eastern States. 



Because the average size of the birds from more northern 

 regions is a trifle larger, with the white markings more extended 

 and the black less sooty, more brownish or grayish brown, 

 a new subspecies has been made, habitating from the southern 

 Alleghanies northward. Since Missouri is apparently in the 

 region where the two subspecies merge, a closer study seems 



