EXPLORATION OF WESTERN MISSOURI IN 1854, 435 
river is the first stream we have seen in Missouri that is tolerably well supplied 
with fish. A lad caught on a hook to-day a catfish weighing 136 pounds. 
Skinned a fine old gobbler shot by a friend; wild turkeys are plenty in the 
vicinity. 
16th.— Went on the extensive “bottoms” of Grand river, so celebrated for 
rich land and heavy timber; we found the principal forest trees to be black wal- 
nut, burr oak, cottonwood, sycamore, hackberry, shagbark hickory, pecan, 
coffee bean, honey locust, and black birch, all of which grow to an unusually 
large size. We measured the trunk of a pecan, Carya oliveformis, that was 
13 feet in circumference, and held this size for at least 50 feet. Parrakeets are 
abundant 4bout the large sycamores, Platanus occidentalis, in the hollows of 
which they roost and nest. Here we found the home of the Trichas philadel- 
phia, a locality where this bird is common; they frequent localities covered 
with dense underbrush overrun with climbing roses and honeysuckles. Here, 
too, in the same localities, is found the Kentucky warbler.in great abundance ; I 
spent considerable time watching these active, restless little songsters, and I 
must confess my surprise that any naturalist who had an opportunity of observ- 
ing the dchavior of these birds, especially during their nuptial season, should 
hesitate a moment in placing them among the ground warblers. They live and 
nest in the underbrush, the male occasionally hopping upon a low branch of a 
tree to pour forth his whittesheé, whittesheé, repeated two or three times, then 
again disappearing in the tangled brush. This song is so precisely like that of 
the yellow-throat that it requires a practiced ear to distinguish the one from the 
other. I listened to the song of the Trichas philadelphia, T. marylandica, and 
T. formosa, at the same time, and found them wonderfully alike; the song of the 
T. philadelphia differing more than the Kentucky warbler’s from that of the 
Maryland yellow-throat. ‘Lhe color, the rounded tail, destitute of the white 
marking constantly found on the lateral feathers of the true sylvicolas, the 
flesh-colored feet and legs, all combine to establish the Kentucky warbler in the 
genus Trichas. Specimens of Vermivora solitaria are common here; they keep 
much on the tops of trees; their song, zeé-z-2-zee, resembles closely that of 
the Vermivora chrysoptera. 
17th—Went hunting salamanders ; turned over a “ world” of old logs, but 
found none. Is it not strange that we did not find a single specimen of this 
animal in all our travels, notwithstanding we hunted diligently in every favora- 
ble locality? Shot two woodchucks, Arctomys monaz, as they were running full 
chase through the woods. There is here a “ gray prairie squirrel,” Spermophilus ; 
we did not obtain a specimen. 
18th.—Started on our return to Lexington; drove 29 miles, and put up with 
the Rev. Mr. Grover, an intelligent, energetic “planter.” He gave me much 
information respecting the habits of the “gopher,” Geomys, which are greatly 
abundant here. On the prairie we passed at no great distance from a pair of 
cranes, Grus canadensis. My brother waved his hat and shouted to them two. 
or three times, when the male bird commenced, by bowing and hopping in a 
ludicrous manner,—a series of amusing antics, interluded with brief samples of 
vocal powers that made ample compensation in strength for any lack of melody. 
19th.—Early this morning, in company with the Rev. Mr. Grover, went a 
short distance on the prairies to kill “gopher,” but were disappointed in not 
getting a shot. Arrived at Lexington in the afternoon; we halted on the road 
to pick ripe wild strawberries. 
24th— Went six miles above Lexington to fish in the Suny; caught but little. 
A person accustomed to the beautiful clear streams of Wisconsin, literally filled 
with fish, experiences great disappointment in visiting the muddy saline streams 
of Missouri. We gota fine old “timber rattlesnake,” Crotalus durissus. If I 
mistake not, it is generally believed this snake will not take food while in captivity. 
Mr. S. Sercomb, at Madison, Wisconsin, has succeeded in feeding his “ pet rat- 
