38 Trans. Acad. Sci. of St. Louis 



seen at Webster Groves on February 2, when a sudden 

 warm spell induced them to visit their old haunts, not to 

 stay, but simply to see how matters stand. On such 

 inspection tours they remain only a short time, announce 

 their presence by a few carols and retire to their feeding 

 grounds in the creek or river bottom. It is hard to 

 explain how they find nourishment enough to bridge them 

 over the snowy and icy periods, since their main sus- 

 tenance must be taken from the insect world, but for 

 warm quarters to spend the nights old woodpeckers' 

 holes serve them well, and I have myself witnessed how 

 three or four entered the same hole, certainly a good way 

 to keep warm. All birds accumulate a layer of fat in 

 autumn, and it may be taken for granted that this store 

 is drawn upon in times of want. 



The Missouri River, flowing from west to east and cut- 

 ting our state into two parts. North Missouri and South 

 Missouri, forms in winter the dividing line of two faunal 

 zones for many species of birds, absent or rare in North 

 Missouri, but becoming more and more regular or numer- 

 ous as we proceed from the river southward. 



As belonging to this class we may name the Migrant 

 Shrikes, Mockingbirds, Bewicks and Winter Wrens, 

 Meadowlarks, Doves, Prairie Horned Larks, Rusty 

 Blackbirds, Cowbirds, Grrackles, Sapsuckers, Flickers, 

 Turkey Vultures, several kinds of Sparrows, Purple and 

 Goldfinches, Siskins, Kinglets, Eangfishers, several kinds 

 of Hawks and Ducks, Robins and Bluebirds. 



The Robin is no stranger to our winter fauna. We 

 meet him in flocks in the heavy timber in Christmas time, 

 hear even his song and cheerful call when we least expect 

 him. I have seen him as early as the first day of Feb- 

 ruary in Shaw's Garden, but ordinarily it is a month 

 later when he mounts his favorite perch at his summer 

 homo for his first song within the city of St. Louis. 



!At Old Orchard I have seen one once when the mercury 

 was below zero, but the intelligent bird was not freezing 



