24 THE AMERICAN MIDLAND NATURALIST 
the old-fashioned three day sort which we thought had gone forever 
visited Iowa again. ‘he weather was not so cold, but the blizzards 
were blinding. They blocked the way of any sort of traffic. Farmers 
were shut in for some time. But it was not as in the old days, for 
there was, with most of the farmers at least, some sort of com- 
munication with the outside world. It was not long at a time 
that the telephones were out of order, and even if they were not 
usable for short periods, at least, the nearest farm was usually 
a few rods away. It was far different from the case with my grand- 
parents who found only three houses between their home, more 
than twelve miles distant from St. Charles, and the little village. 
But since we are told that exceptions prove the rule, so it isin 
this case. For the winter of 1918-19 was certainly an exception. 
In November, 1918, on the first day of the month, an American 
bittern was seen by the writer, in Willow Pond Bird Sanctuary, at 
Charles City, Iowa. On that same day, a Wilson’s snipe was also 
seen there. The snipe was again seen on November 3rd, near the 
same region. And in some bushes along the creek which goes from 
this sanctuary to the river, a male indigo bunting was seen. This 
is a most tinusual record for the bunting, and I believe that the 
snipe and the bittern are quite out of season. Of course, since.the 
creek was not frozen, the bittern and snipe could get their necessary 
foods. But why the bunting *should have been around is another 
question. The weather had been mild, indeed, yet buntings had 
never remained in that region in former years at all as late as— 
that date. Had it been the only eccentricity of that season I should 
have thought that something was the matter with the bird, and 
that it could not fly. But it was very active, flew well, and seemed 
thoroughly alert. Besides, the other birds having lingered so long 
past their usual times for migration made me believe that the season 
was truly to be one of considerable mildness. 
In November, Mahlon Palmer, a member of the Califor Natur-_ 
alist Club of Charles City, found violets in bloom. On the four- 
teenth of that month, in Brackett’s Woods, a favored wood on an 
old river flood plain, and only a short distance from the town, I 
found baby-faces, (Anemonella thalictroides), coming up. However, 
I did not find any in blossom, as I had once before in the late fall 
when the frost had come very early, and then warm weather had 
followed closely upon it. There were other-signs of reawakening 
life, for the buds of the lilacs were greatly swollen at this time, and 
