248 Trans. Acad. Sci. of St. Louis. 
STEGANOPUS TRICOLOR Vieillot. Wilson’s Phalarope. 
Fairly common migrant. 
The Wilson’s Phalarope arrives from about April 20th to 
25th (April 11, 1916) and again in August and September. Has 
been seen in spring as late as the middle of May. 
Whenever the mud flats at the mouth of the Blue River are 
not submerged by backwater from the Missouri, large numbers 
of these beautiful birds resort there to feed and rest during 
their long migratory flights. They have been taken both in the 
showy spring plumage and the more sombre winter dress. 
Family RecurvirostripaAr. Avocets and Stilts. 
RECURVIROSTRA AMERICANA Gmelin. Avocet. 
Very rare migrant. 
Rivermen have given us descriptions of birds taken which 
seem to apply to this species, but we have been able to find only 
the following actual records: Wm. Andrews took a specimen on 
the Missouri River near the Eaton tower in the spring of 1912. 
Bush reports one taken near Courtney in the spring of 1914. 
Bryant took a pair at Bean Lake in October, 1894. 
Family Sconopacipar. Snipes, Sandpipers, ete. 
PHILOHELA MINOR (Gmelin). Woodcock. 
Very rare migrant and former summer resident. 
Bush states that the Woodcock formerly nested in this county, 
but was never numerous either as a migrant or breeder. 
Two were taken on the old Kenoche farm near the mouth of 
Big Blue by Bryant in the spring of 1894. Another specimen 
was taken near the same place by Dick Spiker on March 18, 
1914. One was seen feeding in Shilo on May 30, 1915, by Walter 
Cunningham. 
Very few of the great numbers that winter in the southeastern 
part of the state seem to come this way on their spring migra- 
tion; it is probable that the bird is nearly extinct in this part of 
the country. 
GALLINAGO DELICATA (Ord). Wilson’s Snipe. 
Fairly common migrant. 
This once abundant game bird was formerly a common sight 
on every wet grassy spot. It is still present from about the 
