252 PUBLIC PARKS OF IOWA 



that a "seed stock" of ducks would escape every migration, and it could 

 no longer be said, "lowans wish to kill every wild duck that flies over 

 "her soil," which could be truthfully said at the present time. 



Has not Iowa a philanthropist who will buy a suitable tract of marsh 

 land and protect the birds and wild flowers on it? Ten years from now' it 

 will be too late, as there will be no marsh land left except possibly along 

 the border rivers. 



The sanctuaries could be used as public parks, whenever such use 

 does not interefere with the purpose of their establishment. Swamp 

 and marsh land have a beauty all their own and varying with the season 

 of the year. This beauty is more easily destroyed than that of wood- 

 land, making necessary adequate control when used for park purposes. 



For fear that some people will say that there are few birds and flowers 

 which are found in such locations, I append a partial list of these which 

 may be found in such places in Iowa. 



The sweet-cented water lilly, bladderwort, wild iris or blue flag, three 

 species of arrowhead, pickerel weed or water hyacinth, green dragon 

 or dragon root, cat tail flag, bur-reed, reed canary grass, three species of 

 duck weed, fourteen species of pond weeds, and a great many species 

 of rushes. 



The water-lily, iris, arrowhead, and pickerel weed are among the 

 most beautiful of flowers, wild or cultivated. Around the borders of the 

 marshes may be found the skunk cabbage, orange red lily, Turk's cap 

 lily, closed gentian, and many others which grow only in moist places. 



Pied-billed grebe, black tern, and Franklin gull are common. Gadwall, 

 baldpate, green-winged teal, blue-winged teal, spoon-bill, pintail, red 

 head, canvassback, the blue-bill ducks, and the buffle head are part of 

 the ducks found. Snow geese, blue geese, Canada geese, white-fronted 

 geese, and Whistling swans are found. The bittern or shypoke, least bit- 

 tern, great blue heron, green heron, and black crowned night heron are 

 to be found nesting or as migrants. The king rail, Virginia rail, sora rail, 

 Florida gallinule, and the ever-present mud hen are found nesting there. 

 Of shore birds there are many. Wilson phalarope, avocat, woodcock, 

 Wilson snipe or jack snipe, dowitcher, stilt sandpiper, pectoral sandpiper 

 or grass snipe, Baird sandpiper, least sandpiper, red-backed sandpiper, 

 semi-palmated sandpiper, marbled godwit, greater yellow-legs, yellow-legs, 

 solitary sandpiper, willet, upland plover, black-bellied plover, killdeer, 

 semi-palmated plover. Of birds which are usually called land birds but 

 which nest or frequent swamps and miarshes there are many in number 

 and variety. Bobolink, yellow-headed blackbird, red-winged blackbird, 

 swamp sparrow, Maryland yellow-throated warbler, long-billed marsh 

 wren, short-billed marsh wren, are found nesting in our marshes. The 

 marsh hawks and short-eared owls also nest there. Iowa Forestry and 

 Conservation Association. Report 1914-15, pp. 70-4. 



