382 Howell, Notes on Birds of Southeastern Missouri. [Oct. 



breeding birds is of special importance in order that the northern 

 limits of such forms as occur in that Zone may be determined. 



The localities visited in Missouri are as follows: St. Francis 

 River, about 12 miles north of Cardwell, Dunklin County (April 

 25-30); Kennett (May 1, 2); Portageville (May 3, 4); Cushion 

 Lake, 7 miles southeast of Portageville (May 4-7). 



The following list includes only the rarer birds, and those whose 

 subspecific identity has been a matter of conjecture. 



Podilymbus podiceps. Pied-billed Grebe. — Three or four were 

 seen in the wooded swamps along the St. Francis River and one on Cushion 

 Lake. 



Anhinga anhinga. Snakebird. — One was seen on Cushion Lake. 



Anas platyrhynchos. Mallard. — A few Mallards are reported to 

 breed in the more inaccessible portions of Cushion Lake. 



Aix sponsa. Wood Duck.— Wood Ducks are probably more num- 

 erous in this region than in any other part of the LTnited States, and this 

 in spite of the fact that many thousands are shot every fall and winter. 

 At the time of my visit they were breeding and comparatively few were 

 seen. I did, however, see from one to six each day that I was in the swamps. 

 They are very wary and fly swiftly up and down the bayous, mainly in 

 pairs, uttering their characteristic call notes. Several times a pair was 

 flushed from the water in the timbered ' sloughs ' where they were feeding. 



Branta canadensis. Canada Goose. — A few geese are said to breed 

 in the vicinity of Cushion Lake, where a local hunter told me he had caught 

 a few young geese every spring. 



Botaurus lentiginosus. American Bittern. — Bitterns were very 

 numerous in the St. Francis River marshes, April 25-30, and were fre- 

 quently heard 'pumping.' 



Ardea herodias. Great Blue Heron. — A few were seen both on the 

 St. Francis River and on Cushion Lake. 



Rallus elegans. King Rail. — Two were seen and one collected 

 May 3 in a wet ditch along a railroad at Portageville 



Fulica americana. Coot. — Several small companies of two to five 

 were seen in the reedy portions of the St. Francis River. 



Gallinago delicata. Wilson's Snipe. — Two were seen May 1 at 

 Kennett and two May 3 at Portageville. 



Buteo lineatus. Red-shouldered Hawk. — One was collected 

 April 29 in the timber near the St. Francis River, and on May 7 a nest was 

 found in a small tree in a dense thicket near Cushion Lake. The young 

 in this nest were about half grown. The male bird was collected. 



Dryobates villosus auduboni. Southern Hairy Woodpecker. — 

 Not very common, but a few were observed both on the St. Francis River 

 and at Cushion Lake. At the latter place a breeding male was collected. 



