14 Trans. Acad. ^ci. of St. Louis 



are sitting alroaily in solonin silence, probably in secret 

 session. Ten tlionsand Martins sitting close toi^^etber on 

 a few acres of sandbar is a sipflit not often met witli, and 

 we nnist look at them verv sbai'plv. Thev are not very 

 shy, many alight a few yaids from us and wf ran watch 

 every movement. The only movement we can see is a 

 pickinji: motion as if takin.u; uj) a ^rain of sand, but this 

 is only i)lay work, because we see them also pick at straw 

 protrndinji: from the sand. They did not come to eat 

 sand, their only ])urp()se is to meet here and decide if to 

 go on vnth their journey southward or to take a rest in 

 the neiiifhboring roost. It is now (! :-!.") and getting dusk. 

 The smoke of the city, driven by a northeast wind, lias 

 enveloi)ed the western horizon and all will be dark in a 

 few minutes. Do they slee]) on that sand.' They have 

 been sitting here now for half an hour. Look here, four 

 birds coming toward the willows; they are scouts! Ts 

 this not a strange call, a call never heard around their 

 breeding l)oxes? They are now all four above us, circling 

 over the willows and returning to the sand. Presently 

 the ranks of the Martins thin out, and in less than a min- 

 ute all have left the sand, Hying out on the river, down 

 toward the island, rising above the willows, and in a few 

 minutes all is (piiet, dark. The Martins hav<» gone to 

 rest, and we will not disturb them. It would be dilTicult 

 work to penetrate these willow thickets at night. 



The willows are about twentv feet biiih and stand verv 

 close together. The ground is swam])y in some places 

 and it is covered all over with debris left by last year's 

 inundation. We shall try to see them leave the willows 

 tomorrow morning. 



It is 5 A. .M., the stars have disappeared, with the ex- 

 ception of a few bright ones. We are on the bluffs o]>]io- 

 site the sandbar. The first break of day stands in the 

 <»astern horizon, but night still reigns west of us. This 

 is the moment when the Martin leaves its roost. They 



I 



