I I J. WiDMANN, Szvai'nson's Warbler in Missouri. T April 



and a variety of small trees and shrubs, as well as climbers, 

 among which we notice with delight the beautiful crossvine and 

 wistaria. 



It was on May 12, 1894, when I entered these woods at the 

 southwest corner of the peninsula, crossing the St. Francis and 

 ascending Indian Slough in a skiff about two miles. After 

 walking one mile across an island, I came upon a cross-slough 

 about one hundred yards wide. It had to be waded. It was one 

 o'clock and very warm. I had quite a load to carry and thought 

 it would be best to rest a little. I had just laid down my burden 

 and was in the act of wiping the perspiration from the forehead, 

 when a voice, the voice of a Redbird, rang out, clear and dis- 

 tinctly, '■'■Hard work, zvork, 7vork, work, work, hard work/" I 

 still wondered how he knew it was hard work to carry such an 

 outfit on an ornithological reconnaisance, when over the slough a, 

 large bird darted, apparently a Pileated Woodpecker or Good 

 God, as the people call it there ; but did it not show an extraordi- 

 nary amount of white, almost as much as a Redhead ? Could it 

 be the long sought for Ivorybill .' I concluded not to go on, as 

 intended, but to stay in the vicinity and to keep a sharp look-out ; 

 possibly I might get another and better chance for identification. 

 I waited. 



In the course of the afternoon I saw nearly the whole feathered 

 population of the neighborhood, watched their doings and listened 

 to their songs. Among other things I had again opportunity to 

 witness a singular act of the Yellow-billed Cuckoo, which I had 

 repeatedly noticed the preceding few days. The female at this 

 particular period of her life and love seems to care little for other 

 food than that which her courteous and attentive mate provides 

 for her. She keeps quietly sitting in all her loveliness, as if lost 

 in pleasant reverie, patiently awaiting his return. In the exuber- 

 ance of his afiiection instead of taking a seat at her side, as other 

 birds would do, he gracefully alights on her shoulders, slightly 

 spreads his wings as if in embrace, bends forward over her head 

 and puts into her open bill the tender willow-fiy, an Ephemera of 

 larger size. 



It was not Sunday, but all birds seemed to wear their best 

 dresses. I observed a male Red-belly, who was not only red- 

 bellied, but really red-throated, red-chinned and red-cheeked. 



