166 THE CONDOR — Vol. XXI _ 
that afternoon when exploring the neighborhood, noting among the thick 
marsh vegetation some Maryland Yellow-throats, Palm Warblers, and other 
birds. Little did I think, as I scanned this wilderness of reeds, that nearly for- 
ty years afterwards, as Chief of the Biological Survey, I should be called upon 
to administer this and other similar tracts in the neighborhood as a Federai 
Bird Reservation, which was set apart August 8, 1907, under the name of the 
“Tern Islands’’. 
That night, as guest, I was favored with a bed improvised on top of a billi- 
ard table, while the other members of the party slept, as best they could, on the 
floor. The next day the ship-wrecked party was taken aboard the light-house 
tender ‘‘Essayons’’, commanded by Captain Freeman, which chanced to be on 
her way to New Orleans. Thus we were back in the hospitable city the same 
week we had left it. If I remember rightly, it was just ten days later when 
we sailed by the scene of our former ship-wreck in the ‘‘ Varina’’, which, mean- 
time, had been raised, towed to New, Orleans, repaired, and made as good as 
ever. This time we sailed triumphantly through the pass into the Gulf, and in 
due time reached the scene of our winter’s labors. Captain Webber and his 
wife proved the most delightful and sympathetic of hosts, and as the others of 
the party were pleasant and congenial comrades the winter was most agreeably 
spent. 
The work of the Survey party, of which Captain Webber was in charge, lay 
chiefly in and around Lakes Borgne and Ponchartrain, and I had lively antici- 
pations of the feathered treasures in store for me in this entirely new field. As, 
however, the territory bordering the lakes consisted almost entirely of marshes, 
the variety of bird life proved very small. Such as it was, however, I devoted 
myself to it enthusiastically, and in spring carried home something over two 
hundred skins, among which were the types of fallus saturatus, which abound- 
ed in the marshes about the Rigolets Light House. In the absence of inviting 
collecting ground, I devoted a good deal of time that winter to hunting ducks, 
geese and snipe, and the spoils gathered in this way always proved a welcome 
addition to our mess. The canoe trips after ducks in the tortuous bayous of 
the lake region with Mr. Schonstein, the keeper of the light house, will always 
remain delightful memories. 
BACK FROM LOUISIANA 5 
I returned home in the spring of 1870 greatly improved in health, but pre- 
sently gave up all idea of a college course. Then followed a delightful interim 
of months when, without much thought. of the morrow and its responsibilities, _ 
I devoted most of the time, in company with Brewster, wholly to outdoor life 
and to collecting birds. 
EVENTS LEADING TO FOUNDING OF THE NUTTALL ORNITHOLOGICAL CLUB 
It is surprising how trivial incidents may lead to important and unfore- 
seen consequences. Mr. Brewster possessed a copy of the octavo edition of Au- 
dubon’s ‘‘Birds’’, and the discoveries and experiences of this pioneer of Amer- — 
ican ornithology often formed the topic of our conversation, especially when 
his account of species familiar to us differed from our own experiences. As I 
was less acquainted with the writings of Audubon than he was, and desired to 
become more familiar with them, in the fall of 1871 I suggested the plan of 
reading aloud a chapter of Audubon and then discussing it. The plan soon be 
coming known to Ruthven Deane, Henry Purdie, and, later, to W. E. D. | | 
