AMERICAN ORNITHOLOGY. 275 



graph and full account of it's occupants were given in the June 1902 

 Ornithology." Francis B. Horton. 



Although for more than two weeks, a cold steady rain fell, I little ex- 

 pected to see the awful havoc which it had created when I took my first 

 day's outing after the storm. Scores of Red-wing Blackbirds nests 

 which had been a foot or two feet above the water when last I had seen 

 them, were entirely submerged. The water had formed miniature 

 lakes in many hollows where Song and Field Sparrows had taken up 

 the abode. Yellow Warblers, Redstarts, P"airie and Chestnut-sided 

 Warblers were unable to get food for their young and the results were 

 apparent upon inspecting the nests. In some cases the skillfully woven 

 nests of the Red-eyed Vireos had made water t^ght baskets and the 

 dexterity of the parents had been the cause of death of their little ones. 



Robins, Catbirds, Thrushes, Thrashers, Towhees, and Grosbeaks 

 were also numbered among the unfortunates. 



Out of twenty-one nests that I had located as "being in particularly 

 desirable positions to make photographs, but one escaped destruction. 

 Twenty nests out of twenty-one destroyed; — seventy-five out of eighty 

 young birds and eggs that the nests contained perished. The one nest 

 which escaped out of the number was that of a House Wren, a lively 

 little body who seemed capable of providing food for her five little ones 

 in spite of all difficulties; of course on account of its location in an old 

 stump this nest was fully protected from the storm and remained dry. 

 As many other localities throughout the country suffered a great deal 

 worse than this, it is probable that this percentage of mortality among 

 the young birds is not in excess of what the average will be. 



As these twenty-one nests were but a fraction of those that were in 

 the locality and as this locality is but a infinitesimally small part of the 

 territory which was invaded by storm and flood, it can readily be imag- 

 ined that the sum total of young birds which perished will amount to 

 hundreds of thousands. 



Although some of the birds have made new homes and if they escape 

 further disasters will raise their brood of little ones, the great majority 

 of those who lost will make no further attempt this year, and it is more 

 than probable that for several years to come the numbers of certain 

 species will be noticeably diminished as a direct result of this year's 

 disasters. 



