Widmann — A Preliminary Catalog of the Birds of Missouri. 87 



that a species can be said to winter with us, when we see an 

 individual in every one of the winter months, but this is not 

 correct. Though frost may occur in Missouri on any day from 

 the middle of October to the middle of April, our really severe 

 winter weather comes usually only between the middle of January 

 and the middle of February. Moderately cold weather with 

 frequent mild, and even warm spells may prevail through 

 December and part of January and induce hardy birds to remain 

 with us, but a prolonged period of intensely cold, even zero 

 weather is likely to set in as late as the fourth week of January 

 and last uninterruptedly until the middle of February, fully 

 three weeks, when suddenly the weather may turn warm, ob- 

 literate all traces of ice and snow within one week and make it 

 possible for the vanguard of migrants to invade the state before 

 the end of the month. Among the first to put in an appearance 

 after the withdrawal of severe weather are a few forerunners 

 of this species, but records for February are not many. Excep- 

 tionally early dates are for St. Louis, February 10, 1888, and for 

 Keokuk, February 17, 1897; for Mt. Carmel, February 18, 

 1886. The majority of Turkey Buzzards return in March, 

 filling up their ranks very slowly and some of their old haunts are 

 not reached before the first half of April. Troops of migrating 

 Buzzards are seen late in March and early in April and again in the 

 first half of October. After the middle of that month the species 

 becomes scarce, but does not entirely disappear from the state 

 for some weeks yet and lasts have been reported by different 

 observers all the way from October 16, 1904, Kansas City, 

 to December 14 and January 18 at Montgomery City, though 

 mainly in November. Whether Turkey Vultures have increased 

 since the white man has settled the country, is difficult to say, 

 but it is remarkable that Audubon does not mention them 

 among the birds observed on his way up the Missouri River in 

 April 1843, while Dr. Hoy found them ''nesting in clifTs all 

 along the river" in April 1854. For reasons only known to the 

 solons of Jefferson City our latest game law, that of 1907, has 

 placed the Buzzard into section 7 together with the English 

 Sparrow, Chicken Hawk, Blackbird and Crow among the birds 

 "not protected by this act." 



*326. Catharistaurubu (Vieill.). Black Vulture. 



Vxdtur atratus. Catharista atrata. Cathartes atratus. Vultur iota. Carrion 

 Crow. 



Geog. Dist. — South Atlantic and Gulf States to western Texas, 



