2 2 Bulletin A^o. 25. 



On the 17th of June we made a trip to the southeast end of the lake per 

 boat. Here enormous Bald Cypresses, with Telansia draped arms stand 

 as outposts in the lake, some distance from the shore. These trees are 

 "old timers." A few stumps — tell-tales of human vandalism — measured 

 as much as eight. feet in diameter. Most of these guarding sentinels of 

 the Sombre Lake are hollow, mere hulls, and these natural chimneys 

 furnish a safe retreat to the bat and a nesting site to our swifts. 



We examined all the trees in this end of the lake and found six nests, 

 three of which contained eggs, two young, and one was inaccessible. 

 Two nests contained four eggs each and one five. The other two con- 

 cained three and four young respectively. Three were about twelve feet 

 from 'the water, one about fifteen, and one twenty-five. 



One of the trees seemed to be especially favored by the swifts, as we 

 noticed at least half a dozen entering it, — but we were unable to 

 examine it thoroughly, as it was impossible for us to ascend it — its 

 outside and inside diameter being too great. 



Here, then, we have a small group of birds, isolated from civilization 

 and consequently not subjected to the changed environment of their semi- 

 domesticated brethren. Let us hope that they will flourish in this 

 isolated spot in order that we may be able, in the years to come, to note 

 what changes, if any, civilized man has unwittingly produced among 

 our swifts. 



Paul B.4Rtsch, ]\'(ts]iin<-to)i, D. C. 



A MARCH HORIZON. 



Events repeat themseles. Little did the writer think, when he spent 

 March 12, 1898, with the birds, that March 11, 1899, would find him 

 him again in the field, traversing the same territory, bent upon breaking 

 the previous year's record. An account of the i8g8 trip will be found on 

 page 21 of Bulletin ig, to which the reader should turn for a comparison 

 of the one about to be described. 



The weather conditions in 1898 were, on the whole, rather more 

 favorable for migratory movements than the present year. In 1899 a mark- 

 ed cold wave on the 8th followed the largest fall of snow of the year 

 two days earlier, but it was followed by rapidly moderating weather 

 which reached a temperature of 50° on the morning of the nth, reaching 

 during the day 63°. Clouds obscured the sun nearly all day, but no rain 



