i8g6 1 Widmann, Winter Home for Birds in Missouri. 221 



is some, we hear the chuck of the Yellow-rump and see a few of 

 the sprightly, restless birds. 



Not a single Crow was to be seen in this country, and Blackbirds 

 were among the rarities. The barnyard is the only place where a 

 troop of Rusties (Scolecophagus carolinus) is likely to be seen on a 

 midwinter's day and a few stray Redwings (Age/a/us phceniceus) 

 may be encountered in the clearings. 



Though not very numerous here in summer the Bluejay {Cyano- 

 citta cristatd) is now one of the most abundant and conspicuous 

 birds. They seem to have come from the north in search of 

 health ; they go about their work singly, but hold frequent meet- 

 ings for sundry purposes and may often be seen gesticulating and 

 complimenting each other on their good appearance and healthy 

 looks, and truly they seem to feel uncommonly well. 



The Bobwhite {Co/in us virginianus) also is an inmate of the 

 woods where he has his favorite resting places under fallen tree- 

 tops. 



The Wild Turkey {Meleagris gallopavd) is still a pretty common 

 bird in this comparatively wild region, where cornfields, black- 

 berry thickets and cypress-swamps join each other in all directions. 

 In the cornfield he finds some of his food, in the thickets a retreat, 

 and in the swamps a roost. He is not known to roost anywhere 

 else but above water and if the weather is not too bad he retires 

 to the higher branches. 



Ducks are unusually rare in the region this winter and three 

 Hooded Mergansers (Lop/iodytes cucullatus) were all the Water 

 Birds met with. 



The total absence of Ducks is generally accounted for by lack 

 of food and superabundance of water. One of the main articles 

 of their diet is the seed of smartweed, but the crop of the high 

 southern smartweed {Polygonum dcnsijlontm) has been an entire 

 failure. The plant came up slowly last summer, probably in con- 

 sequence of the unusually severe winter of 1894-95, and it was in 

 full bloom when the frosts of the first October days visited the 

 region. Though no bad effect was visible at the time, the frost 

 seems to have checked fructification. 



The clearings and deadenings, enclosed as they are by the 

 forest, do not change the character of the country greatly, but 



