THE NIDOLOGIST 
water directly toward me. Ideas raced to and 
fro in my excited brain. My stick was in my 
left hand, and I knew that I could not hit the 
ophidian with my left if I tried, while if I took 
time to change the basket and the stick I might 
be attacked and bitten. Retreat was out of 
the question, for I was firmly anchored in 
three distinct layers of resisting material, mud, 
moss, and water. Happily for me the snake 
turned aside abruptly and wriggled among 
the stems, but you 
to the swamps last summer was an introduction 
to the Yellow-headed Blackbird. I had waded 
far out into the deepest portion of an extensive 
swamp lake, and was in the tall flags which im- 
mediately bordered the area of open water, 
when I heard a strange yet familiar note. The 
attempted song was ludicrous in its failure to 
exhibit any musical qualities, yet the note was 
so unmistakably like the Grackle’s that I knew 
I had found the Yellow-headed Blackbird be- 
fore I discovered 
who are “scary” 
will appreciate my 
feelings for the next 
half hour. 
Another _ nerve- 
testing experience of 
the swamps is to 
havea great big dog- 
fish bump against 
your legs as he darts 
after a school of 
minnows, and then 
while you are back- 
ing away or hurrying 
forward to escape 
the presence of this 
unknown subterra- 
nean demon, he 
kicks up a diminu- 
tive shower of drops 
and spray in your 
face, and you realize 
that it is only a 
harmless prowler of 
the mossy water 
forests that has mo- 
mentarily crowded 
your throat with the 
contents of your 
thorax. However, 
fearing that some of 
the inexperienced 
readers of the Nip- 
| the owner of the 
voice. The bird 
was grasping the 
bending stem of one 
of a group of flags, 
| and now and then 
| he perpetrated that 
harsh, squeaking 
song, which sound- 
ed as though it were 
uttered with utmost 
effort, and rasped 
through the wind- 
pipe of the perform- 
| er like the screaking 
of a hinge long rust- 
ing, yet the ending 
was not so unmu- 
| sical as the begin- 
ning. As I cau- 
tiously approached 
the performer, he 
gently loosened his 
grip on the stem 
where he was perch- 
ing and slowly shd 
down the stem until 
he had disappeared 
below the horizon 
of the flags about 
me,and then he soon 
flew from the spot 
to another point far- 
OLOGIsStT may be 
fearful of the terrors A. W. 
of the swamps, and 
thus be deterred from invading the homes of the 
water birds, I take pleasure in stating that all 
these things are perfectly harmless, and one may 
wade the swamps from day to day with no 
danger from snakes, fishes, or other amphibious 
creatures. All these denizens of the water will 
be more startled than you at your approach, 
and the snakes will always be found at the sur- 
face of the water, thus making it impossible to 
tread upon them. Just leave them alone and 
they will be only too glad to treat you in the 
same manner. 
One of the pleasant experiences of my visit 
ANTHONY, 
ther away, there to 
screech out his ca- 
denza as before. 
In the notes on the distribution of this species 
in Illinois, given in Ornithologist and Odlogist 
for August, 1893, Dr. W. S. Strode reports his 
not having observed it. Yet I found them 
sparingly in Flag Lake. Fulton Co., near the home 
of Mr. Strode, from May 15 to June 5, and found 
several nests which I felt morally certain were of 
their architecture, though it was too early for the 
eggs, and I was unable positively to distinguish 
their work from that of the Red-winged Black- 
birds. I believe that they nest in this swamp, 
however, and I shall take the opportunity an- 
other year to develop the fact, yet this must be 
MEMBER A. O. U. 
