2 20 Widmann, Winter Home for Birds in Missouri. \ P u<t 



can hear him when he comes, and he does not come alone ; nor 

 does he stay in one particular place until he becomes a bore ; he 

 comes in jolly troops, feeds, sings and goes. 



While the Wrens and Thrushes keep company to the scratching 

 Sparrows on the ground, the Paridae and Picidae populate the trees 

 from root to highest tip. 



Of Woodpeckers there are seven species in these woods, the 

 Downy (Dryobates pubescens) , the Hairy (D. Tillosus), the Flicker 

 (Colaptes auratus), the Sapsucker {Sphyrapicus Tar/ us), the Red- 

 belly (Melanerpes carolinus), the Redhead (M. erythrocephalus) , 

 and the Pileated (Ceophlcehus pileatus). 



Though the Redheads are oftener seen in the deadenings than 

 in the deep forest, all seven species are so plentifully and 

 thoroughly distributed over the woods that it has actually 

 occurred that all seven species were together on near trees in 

 front of me at one and the same moment. 



As a rule the Sapsuckers are by far the least, the Redbellies 

 the most talkative of the family, but all are making some noise, 

 hammering or calling, and there is not a minute throughout the 

 day when one or the other cannot be heard. 



Less scattered, and therefore not quite so omnipresent, are 

 the Paridae. They are, besides, more under the influence of 

 the weather. For some reasons, probably best known to their 

 dressmaker, they dislike damp weather, which makes them 

 somewhat morose ; but they are quick to respond to the exhil- 

 arating effect of a high barometer with its bright skies and 

 frosty mornings. 



As usual the three Paridae, Parus bicolor, P. carolinensis, and 

 S'/tta carolinensis, are mostly found associated with a few repre- 

 sentatives of kindred folks, especially Ccrthia familiar is americana 

 and Regulus satrapa, both of which are common winter sojourners 

 in these beautiful woods. 



Only once observed was Sitta canadensis, apparently a stranger 

 to the region ; but a bird, whose abundance at this time was not 

 expected, is the Ruby-crowned Kinglet {Regulus calendula), which 

 was found in all places visited and in all sorts of company, sev- 

 eral times with Yellow-rumps {Dendroica coronata) . There is not 

 much poison ivy growing in these woods, but wherever there 



