Harris Birds of the Kansas City Region. 329 



toms, but has been seen at Lake City and other marshy places 

 on the uplands. 



It breeds in the cat-tail swamps of the river lakes in nearby 

 counties, but the nest has not been taken in Jackson County. 



Family CERTHIIDAE. Creepers. 



CERTHIA FAMILIARIS AMERICANA Bonaparte. Brown Creeper. 

 Common winter resident. 



Regularly on October 8th, 9th or 10th the first Brown Creep- 

 ers may be expected from the north, remaining until from the 

 10th to 20th of April. They are most numerous during the 

 second and third weeks of October and in the first week of April. 

 During migration they are distributed over the entire county 

 wherever there are trees. In winter they seem to prefer the 

 woods bordering the prarie regions, though they are common 

 on the bluffs and in the bottom timber, especially in the large 

 timber of the Indian Creek Valley. During the latter period 

 of their stay they are sometimes heard in full song. 



Family SITTIDAE. Nuthatches. 



SITTA CAROLINENSIS CAROLiNENSis Latham. White-breasted Nut- 

 hatch. 

 Not uncommon resident. 



The White-breasted Nuthatch is present during the entire 

 year in the wooded sections of the county. In winter it is a 

 not infrequent visitor within the city, where it hunts for insect 

 food on the trunks of the shade trees. During the breeding sea- 

 son it retires to the deeper woods to nest in cavities in trees. 

 Six to nine eggs are laid in late April. 



Its peculiar grunting notes are familiar sounds in the winter 

 woods. 



SITTA CANADENSIS Linn. Red-breasted Nuthatch. 

 Not uncommon migrant. 



This small nuthatch is present in varying numbers from the 

 first few days of October (September 30, 1906, earliest) to about 

 the middle of January (January 18, 1913, latest), and again 

 from the middle of March (March 14, 1914, earliest) to the 

 first week of May (May 5, 1917, latest). It is to be looked for 

 in the same kind of wooded places as the preceding species and, 



