198 Woodruff, Birds of Shannon and Carter Counties, Mo. [ADril 



4. Ardea herodias. Great Blue Heron. — On April 15 one was seen 

 beside a pool in the otherwise dry river bed of Spring Valley, and another 

 on April 20 flying over the Current River, Shannon Co. 



5. Butorides virescens. Green Heron. — One was flushed from a 

 tree over a pool of water filhng one of the numerous sinkholes which are to 

 be found all through the woods on top of the plateau. Shannon Co. 



*6. Nycticorax nycticorax naevius. Black-crowned Night Heron. — 

 A specimen was secured in Spring Valley, April 23. The only one seen. 

 Shannon Co. 



*7. Actodromas fuscicollis. White-rumped Sandpiper.' — One was 

 secured from a flock of about twelve on a mudflat in Jack's Fork of Current 

 River, May 15. Shannon Co. 



*8. Helodromas solitarius. Solitary Sandpiper. — One was seen 

 May 1 beside a small pool of rain-water in the heart of the woods, and 

 another secured May 13 beside a small pool in the meadows at Eudy. 

 Single indi\'iduals were seen on the Current River April 20 and 21. Shan- 

 non Co. 



9. Actitis macularia. Spotted Sandpiper. — A single specimen was 

 seen April 21 on Current River, Shannon Co. 



*10. Colinus virginianus. Bobwhite. — These birds were very com- 

 mon and were found not only in the valley bottoms in or near clearings, 

 but also in the heart of the woods at some distance from any of the few 

 and small clearings. 



11. Bonasa umbellus. Ruffed Grouse. — One was heard drumming 

 on the bluffs above Current River, Shannon Co., April 19, 20 and 21, but 

 with tliis exception none was seen or heard throughout my stay in Shamion 

 or Carter Counties. This was not surprising, owing to the lack of suitable 

 brush cover. The annual burning over of the floor of the forests is given 

 by Mr. Widmami ^ as one of the theories to account for the disappearance 

 of the Ruffed Grouse from the Ozarks, where they were formerly numerous. 

 He says: "As this custom has been followed for fifty years, it has suc- 

 ceeded in extirpating a large number of plants, some of which may formerly 

 have been helpful or needed in making the region a desirable abode for 

 the Ruffed Grouse." 



*12. Meleagris gallopavo silvestris. Wild Turkey. — The Wild 

 Turkey is still a comparatively common though extremely shy bird in 

 Shannon County. On March 18 a flock of seven was seen, but as a rule 

 they were single or in pairs. The cocks began "gobbling" the latter 

 part of March, and as many as four gobblers were heard at the same time. 

 Oh April 16 I secured a hen turkey in whose o\'iduct was found a fully 

 developed egg, shell and all. In her crop was a small lizard. On May 13 

 one of our party flushed a turkey from a nest containing ten eggs, and on 

 returning three or four days later the eggs were found to be cold and 

 e^ddently deserted. 

 , » 



1 Widmann, Prelim. Cat. Birds Mo., p. 68. 

 -'/6id., p. 81. 



