iS^ 11 '! Widmann, Winter Home for Birds in Missouri. 2IQ 



At this same day and place another rarity was found : a Cat- 

 bird (Galeoscoptes carolinensis) , feeding quietly among the leaves 

 on the ground, and after a while flying up into a hackberry tree 

 to partake of a few berries. Besides the white-naped Thrasher 

 its nearest neighbors were the usual congregation of Fox Sparrows, 

 Pipilos, Cardinals, Song Sparrows, etc. 



Two other members of the Wren family constitute an important 

 ingredient of the bird fauna of this region, and, though of small 

 and even diminutive size, contribute greatly to the enjoyment of 

 the visitor by their sprightly actions, confiding ways and pleasing 

 notes. I mean the Carolina Wren {Thryothorus ludovicianus) and the 

 Winter Wren {Troglodytes hiemalis). While the former, as a 

 native of the soil, is the real owner of the ground and tells all who 

 come and at all times of day and year that his title is as good as 

 any title on decaying logs and debris ever was, he leases part of 

 his domain to his little cousin from the north, who takes it regu- 

 larly for just six months, from October i to April i. 



Though it seems liberal enough to thus divide an old estate with 

 a distant relative, the lord and owner of the ground takes care to 

 keep the higher levels for himself, and our little brownie has to 

 put up with the watery regions of the slough and overflow. Here 

 he is, during all his stay, as much at home as in his northern 

 woods in summer. He, who knows him only from his flying visits, is 

 most agreeably surprised to see he has a voice not only for a 

 scold, but also for a praise, a rich, long song which is in perfect 

 harmony with his surroundings. With this song he announces 

 his arrival in October and gives it with increased vigor long before 

 he leaves in spring. He is on friendly terms with his solemn 

 neighbor, the Hermit Thrush {Turdus aonalaschkez pallasii) who, 

 like him, has a predilection for the overflow, and who, like him, 

 is silent when away from home. He must regard this region as a 

 kind of home, since he greets it with his most tender strains on 

 his return in the fall, and sings aloud before he leaves it for the 

 north. 



In spite of near relationship the Robin (Merula migratorid) is an 

 entirely different sort of winter boarder in this region. He does 

 not hide from morning until night ; nor does he look about for 

 ages before he takes a heart to speak out what he thinks. You 



