Widmann-~ A Preliminary Catalog of the Birds of Missouri. 255 



This species was at first regarded as a rare straggler after being 

 found by the writer May 6, 1878, in a private park in the southern 

 part of St. Louis and reported in Nutt. Bull. vol. 5, p. 191. 

 It was always suspected to be a regular resident in the pine region 

 of southern Missouri, but proof was wanting until Mr. E. Sey- 

 mour Woodruff took a pair March 19, 1907, near Ink, Shannon 

 Co., Mo. 



Family Paridae. Titmice. 

 *731. Babolophus bicolor (Linn.). Tufted Titmouse. 



Parus bicolor. Loptwphanes bicolor. Tufted Tit. Crested Tit. 



Geog. Dist. — Eastern United States, north to New Jersey, 

 Ohio, Indiana, northern Illinois, southern Iowa and north- 

 eastern Nebraska: irregularly farther north to Minnesota etc.; 

 west to the Great Plains (Nebraska to Texas). South to 

 Gulf coast from central Florida to central Texas. Non- 

 migratory, but wandering about during fall and winter in 

 search of food, thus appearing in places not inhabited in 

 breeding time. 



In Missouri a common and generally distributed resident, 

 much more numerous southeast than northwest, most abundant 

 in the high trees of the river bottoms, but inhabiting also the 

 dry hills of the Ozarks and the wood patches in the prairie region. 

 Removal of old and decaying trees has driven it from many lo- 

 calities by depriving it of its accustomed nesting sites, natural 

 cavities in trees or deserted woodpecker holes. Orchards and 

 parks should be provided with bird boxes fit for its use in order 

 to attract and retain this useful bird, one of the most efficient 

 insect-destroyers, killing millions of noxious insects in the egg 

 state all the year round. 



*735. Parus atricapillus Linn. Chickadee. 



Parus palustris. Penthestes atricapillus atricapillus. Black-capped Chick- 

 adee. 



Geog. Dist. — Northeastern United States and southeastern 

 British Provinces ; north to Newfoundland, southern Labrador, 

 Quebec, Ontario and southern Keewatin; south to lat. 40° in 

 the Eastern States and through the prairie region of northern 

 and western Missouri to eastern Kansas ; also in Alleghanies to 

 North Carolina. Partly migratory, wandering to localities far 

 from breeding ground in search of food, southward in fall, return- 



