Along the Missouri. 



The Story of a CollectingTrip. By Barton Nugent. 



The next morning we arose at daybreak and af- 

 ter breakfast started for the bottom on the east side 

 of the river; we landed at the edge of a large cot- 

 ton wood grove and tied the boat to a root that we 

 saw hanging over the bank. 



The trees here were very large and seemed to be 

 the breeding grounds of several species of wood- 

 peckers; while passing through the woods we noted 

 the Arcadian and Trails Flycatchers, White and 

 Red-eyed Vireos, Prothonotary, Yellow and "Black 

 and White Creeping Warblers, B.C. Chickadee, the 

 Brown Creeper, and White-bellied Nuthatch. 



Feters saw a large hollow tree, and to investigate 

 the interior, got down on his knees to peep within: 

 a fiicktr was feeding on the inside and flew out as 

 Peters stooped over, —Peters gave one yell,of afer- 

 ver that excitement alone can produce and after 

 seeing the cause of his scare began to use French 

 expletives that 1 was unable to understand. This 

 incident put a stop to Peters' peering habit, h i s 

 n: r/ousness did not disappear until long after the 

 woods were left behind us. 



About a mile from the river the prairie began, 

 and continued in an unbroken stretch to the bluffs, 

 nine miles distant. The ground was covered with 

 tall slough grass, and was used as pasturage for a 



