64 Trans. Acad. Sci. of St. Louis. 



Saskatchewan. Winters in southern California, but mainly 

 south of the United States. 



In eastern Missouri the Avocet has always been regarded as a 

 rare transient visitant. A female in the Hurter collection taken 

 near St. Louis is dated October 28, 1878. Mr. Praeger saw a 

 mounted specimen which was killed on the bars in the Missis- 

 sippi near Keokuk previous to 1885. In western Missouri it 

 seems to be less rare. Mr. Thad Surber met with a flock of one 

 hundred, April 8, 1894, near Stotesbury in Vernon Co., and Mr. 

 A. Lange of Leaven worth, Kan., took some Avocets in Platte 

 Co., Mo. 



[226. HIMANTOPUS MEXICANUS (MiilL). Black-necked Stilt.] 



Charadrius mexicanus. Himantopus nigficollis. Recurvirostra himan- 

 topus. Stilt. White Snipe '(Utah). Lawyer. Long-Shanks. 



Geog. Dist. From northern Brazil and Peru to northern 

 United States, now rare in eastern United States except Florida. 

 Breeding area in United States now restricted to the West from 

 Mexico, southwestern Texas and Colorado to Oregon. Winters 

 from Florida and Louisiana southward through West Indies, 

 Mexico and Central America to Brazil and Peru. 



As there are five records of its capture near Omaha, Neb., 

 April 20, 1895, May 6, 1894, May 10, 1893, and October 3 and 9, 

 1894, it is very probable that stragglers can be found in western 

 Missouri, if students will look out for them on flooded lands after 

 heavy rains in spring and fall. 



Family SCOLOPACIDAE. Snipes, Sandpipers, etc. 

 *228. PHILOHELA MINOR (Gmel.). American Woodcock. 



Scolopax minor. Rusticola minor. Microptera americana. 



Geog. Dist. Eastern United States and southern Canada from 

 Nova Scotia and New Brunswick to Manitoba; west to the 

 Plains; breeding throughout its range and wintering in the 

 southern states. 



In spite of all persecution the Woodcock is still a fairly common 

 summer resident in eastern Missouri ; some winter in the Penin- 

 sula, but the bulk returns to it in February, to southern Missouri 

 generally early in March and to northern Missouri in the latter 

 part of that month, where they remain till the middle of Novem- 

 ber. Young birds well on the wing were seen June 2, 1905, in 



