6 LH ES ASO@D WE ON tT Bi ei 

Early on the morning of May tgth the pilgrims reached Olney and, 
after securing accommodations at the Hazel Hotel, motored to Larch- 
mound, where they found Mr. and Mrs. Ridgway waiting for them. The 
entire forenoon was spent in the delightful company of the birds and our 
hosts. One wonders whether the birds or the Ridgways have the 
stronger claim of ownership in Larchmound. The nesting birds were 
evidently shy of strangers and were not as friendly as they are when 
there are no visitors present. Robert Ridgway’s intimate acquaintance 
with the plant life of Richland County is evidenced in the wonderful 
growth at Larchmound and in the shrubbery, the trees, and the rustic 
summer house are birds’ nests of many kinds. 
9 
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OVERLOOKING VERMILION LAKE 
At Larchmound may be found the Northern and the Southern Robin, 
the Southern Meadowlark, and other species that here find a common 
meeting place, and create an over-lapping of species that adds to the 
interest of the Ridgway sanctuary. In the afternoon the party with 
Mr. Ridgway as guide visited Bird Haven and here both the birds and 
the plant life showed the intimate knowledge, and love of Mr. Ridg- 
way for his home region. The growth of plant life at Bird Haven has 
been remarkable, for in 1872 much of what is now covered with fine 
timber was a corn field. The annual growth of hardwood trees such as 
the white oak, sugar maple, and others is a revelation to those familiar 
