86 The Wilson Bulletin— No. 87 



At 9 :00 A. M. the nest was empty. 



At some time about the middle of July some members of the 

 Laboratory brouglit in two of the chicks from Gull Point. 

 They should have been returned to that place, but, instead, 

 were liberated on the Sandspit. However, on July 24, five 

 of the six young sandpipers which were now on the Sandspit 

 were banded by Dr. Stephens and Dr. Lynds Jones. As a 

 matter of interest and record the numbers of the bands may 

 be here given as follows : 11522, 11523, 11524, 11525, 11526. 

 The young birds were observed on the spit as late as July 29. 

 It is hoped to continue the study of these birds during the 

 summer of 1914. 



The facts obtained in this study may be summarized as 

 follows : 



SUMMARY. 



The incubation period would seem to be over seventeen days. 



The old birds dispose of the egg shells partly by devouring. 



Hatching seems to occur during the night. 



The chicks leave the nest within five or six hours, but 

 probably not much sooner unless disturbed. 



It seems that the young birds are not fed by the parents 

 at any time, but forage for themselves from the beginning. 



THE EESIDENT BIRD LIFE OF THE BIG CYPRESS 

 SWAMP REGION. 



By F. M. Phelps. 



In the spring of 1913 I had the good fortune to be in 

 Florida during the months of March and April and the early 

 part of May. Of this time the latter half of March and 

 nearly all of April were spent in the Big Cypress Swamp 

 region of Lee County in the southwestern part of the State, 

 and it is relative to its resident bird life that this paper has 

 to deal, giving particular attention to the larger and more 

 important species. 



