Widmann — A Preliminary Catalog of the Birds of Missouri. 79 



According to our new game law of 1905 November and De- 

 cember are the only months in which Bob-whites may lawfully 

 be killed in Missouri, and it is to be hoped that this lovely bird 

 may regain its former abundance. Feeding the whole year 

 round on insects, weedseeds, and waste grain it is one of the most 

 beneficial birds on the farm and should, therefore, receive all the 

 protection the farmer can give. Though generally considered 

 non-migratory, local migrations from exposed to more sheltered 

 places have often been noticed, and according to Dr. A. F. 

 Eimbeck of New Haven, Franklin Co., a regular north and south 

 migration is a fact well known to people living along the shores 

 of the Missouri River, where Quails are seen toward evening 

 flying across the river, southward in September, northward in 

 April. The river being over half a mile wide some of the birds 

 become exhausted and fall into the water where they are picked 

 up by the people along the shore. 



Subfamily Tetraoninae. Grouse. 

 *300. BoNASA UMBELLUS (Liuu.). Ruffcd Grouse. 



Tetrao umbellus. Pheasant. Partridge (in northern states). 



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

 south along the Alleghanies to Georgia and eastern Tennessee; 

 sparingly through Ohio, Indiana and Illinois to Missouri (nor- 

 thern Arkansas); west to eastern Nebraska and Minnesota. 

 Non-migratory. 



Until twenty years ago the Ruffed Grouse, here called Pheas- 

 ant, was numerous in most wooded parts of Missouri. Early 

 travelers mention it. Audubon killed a pair at the mouth 

 of Grand River, April 30, 1843, and Dr. Hoy has it in his 

 list of birds found above Boonville in early summer, 1854. 

 In 1872 Trippe found it an abundant breeder in Decatur 

 Co., la., just across our northern state boundary, and 

 Mr. Nehrling saw a specimen killed in 1883 near Pierce 

 City in the Ozark border region of southwest Missouri. Dr. 

 Eimbeck and his brother, who has a very fine mounted male 

 in his collection, say it was common near New Haven until 

 about 1886. About that time Mr. Hurter received a set of eggs 

 from Pevely, Jefferson Co. Mr. W. F. Rasmus born in 1838 

 near Marthasville, Vv'arren Co., writes that in his youth pheasants 

 were plentiful near his home as well as near Herman and Wash- 



