MICHIGAN ACADEMY OF SCIENCE. 
173 
Instead it is hard and baked or covered with vegetation which has sprung 
up during summer. The insect life is very abundant, myriads of the smaller 
winged insects constantly hovering over the grasses or lurking among them 
ready to swarm out at a slight disturbance. By the first of September, all 
the plants have seeded and now these are added to the bill of fare for the 
birds which still remain. Many seeds of plants not growing in the swamp 
itself are carried here by the winds or washed up on the bank by the river. 
CHARACTERISTIC BIRDS. 
Agelaius phoeniceus phoeniceus (Linn.). Red-winged Blackbird. During 
August and the first part of September the Redwings congregate in great 
flocks, troups of a hundred or more coming and going every day. These 
flocks are composed of males, females and young of the year, the latter of 
course greatly predominating. They are seldom seen feeding now and the 
stomachs examined contained a large per cent of grain which must have 
been gleaned outside of the bayou. They roost in the cattails and shrubby 
willows. Toward sunset, flock after flock of Redwings may be seen coming 
to these roosts. At this season the swamp simply furnishes a place for these 
birds to congregate and rest nights. 
Zonotrichia albicollis (Gmel.). White-throated Sparrow. While this is 
only a migrant it occurs in sufficient numbers to be called one of the charac- 
teristic fall birds of the swamp. While it is found in other habitats to a 
certain extent, it occurs most abundantly in this one. It arrives about the 
middle of September and the last ones leave about the first of November. 
During this time it consumes immense quantities of weed seed and a few 
insects. The thickets of willow and the weed grown lowland are the places 
where it is most abundant. Here its brownish plumage harmonizes well 
with its surroundings. These sparrows are often seen scratching among 
the decaying leaves like a barnyard fowl. 
OTHER OBSERVATIONS. 
As the season advances and migrants grow more numerous a few straggling 
warblers are found in the bushes and small flocks of Golden-crowned Kinglets 
wander about among the shrubby willows. Slate-colored Juncoes are often 
met with in the drier spots, and late in the fall flocks of Tree Sparrows are 
seen almost daily. The weed seeds scattered about over the ground are the 
chief attraction for these latter birds. When disturbed, they take refuge in 
the thickets from which they seldom wander very far. During the first 
part of this season, that is, from Aug. 15th to Sept. 1st, the birds are moulting 
and move around very little, getting what food they need near at hand, 
'and remaining for the most part concealed in the dense thickets. As the 
season advances, they stir around more and toward the end there are no 
birds which remain exclusively in this habitat as there are in spring and 
summer. The characteristic birds of the previous seasons have migrated 
by the end of September, and birds from the North are taking their place. 
The white-crowned Sparrow makes his appearance at this time, but not in 
sufficient numbers to attract much attention. 
Conditions in Winter. 
The winters as a rule are comparatively mild, some winters there is 
very little prolonged snow; and again other winters will see the earth covered 
