my steps. Not being as keen for the retreat as 
I had been for the advance, I courted a more 
leisurely pace. I had not gone far wher I was 
made conscious, by a bevy of meadow larks and 
blackbirds, that something had gone wrong in 
the bird world. Thirty or more of these birds 
were darting wildly about in distress and appar- 
ently to attract my attention. First, I looked for 
a coming hawk, but saw none. Then it occurred 
to me I might possibly be trespassing on private 
grounds. Where is the nest, was my next 
thought. For answer I had not long to wait. 
One of the larks dropped to a tuft of bog grass 
not more than twelve span away, where just 
under a spread net I found her nest and four 
nestlings. It took but a moment to draw the net 
away and give the parent birds access to the 
hungry little family. There was joy in camp, 
and the troop dispersed as I turned to continue 
my way off the flat. 
Visiting Birds. 
Other birds at Monmouth are seen in pairs 
mostly, seldom in large numbers. Many visit 
but do not breed here. They come from inland 
and make short stays. 
Where the honeysuckle thrives there you find 
the humming bird. There are great hedgerows 
of honeysuckle at Monmouth. 
In the willows of Club House Circle, just 
across from Whitney Park, a fish crow built its 
nest, also a golden woodpecker, an oriole and a 
30 
