164 
TENTH REPORT. 
the shallow muddy bays the yellow pond lily (Nymphaea advena ) forms thick 
beds. The current here is scarcely perceptible. Surrounding the beds of 
lilies the deep water sedge ( Carex stricta) forms tufts of great compactness 
and strength. Beds of water smartweed are mixed with the yellow pond 
lilies and other plants, forming dense mats’ of floating vegetation which will 
support the weight of a person. Further back from these are extensive 
beds of sweet flag. Scattered about but principally near the center of the 
bayou occur large patches of cattail. Skirting the bluffs and extending 
well out toward the river on the southwest side is a^strip of moist ground 
which is overgrown with a variety of vegetation. Mixed sedges constitute 
the major portion, but long grasses, low weeds and some taller varieties 
such as the Golden Rod and Iron weed abound. During the early spring this 
region is partially covered with water, but it soon recedes and leaves only- 
shallow, grassy pools which are seldom dry because of the spring water 
which percolates through the soil. Much of this land is rough, hummocks 
of earth being scattered about over it. These hummocks are usually over- 
grown with tussocks of sedge or long grass and furnish excellent nesting sites 
for many of our ground birds. The soil beneath is mostly humus and sup- 
ports a luxuriant growth of vegetation. 
The location of brushy low land can best be seen on the map. It is com- 
posed of several varieties of shrubby willows which grow close together 
forming dense thickets. Many bushes are scattered over the neighboring 
low land and are preferred by the birds to the denser clumps. 
A damp meadow lies between the flags and the bluffs, the soil of which 
is largely' composed of earth washed down from the surrounding bluffs. 
This is mixed with the humus formed by decaying plants and with the silt 
deposited by the river in times of flood. The vegetation consists almost 
entirely of grasses which seldom grow more than a few inches high. For 
the most part, especially the area covered with low hummocks, the grass 
simply forms a flat mat and serves only as a feeding ground for the birds. 
CONDITIONS IN SPRING. 
With the opening of spring, the first of March, the swamp presents a dreary 
appearance. Ice and snow cover most of the surface and the only food for 
the birds is to lie found in the few sheltered spots under the bushes, on the 
exposed portions where the snow has melted off, and the weed seeds which 
still cling to upright stems or have fallen off on the snow crust. With the 
melting of the snow lnjer in the month the river rises considerably, often 
flooding the meadow nearly to the bluffs. As the season advances the water 
again retreats, leaving much rubbish scattered over the land. In this waste 
material the birds* find considerable food. Soon after the snow has entirely 
disappeared, the flags and other marsh plants begin to send up green shoots. 
The water then stands about its normal height, covering all the lower reed 
grown portion from three to twelve inches deep. By the first of June every- 
thing is at its prime, the water lilies and flags are in blossom, and food, both 
insect and vegetable, is plentiful. 
CHARACTERISTIC SPRING BIRDS. 
RecL-winged Blackbird. (Agelaius phoeniceus phoeniceus.) The most* 
abundant resident of the swamp is the Red-winged Blackbird. Arriving 
in large flocks about the middle of March, it soon outnumbers all the other 
birds of the region. From early morning till twilight it may be seen hovering 
