384 THE OBSERVER. 
voice its displeasure, and some of the nearer ones took wing. When the 
oar was pushed roughly against the reeds, hundreds of swallows started 
off in wild confusion and circled overhead, where they appeared as flit- 
ting shadows in the moonlight. 
A few days later several clumps of reeds (PAragmites) in various parts 
of the marsh were examined and from the fresh droppings found it was 
evident that all were used as roosting places. No doubt the reeds are 
chosen in preference to the other marsh plants on account of the protec- 
tion afforded by their broad, luxuriant leaves. The barn swallows greatly 
out-numbered the sand swallows, but on the following year the reverse 
was the case, at least in the colony above mentioned. Most of the ob- 
servations were restricted to this colony as the other reed growths were 
difficult to approach, except at high water. Whether the eave swallow 
or rough-winged swallow occurred at all was not determined. 
Unfortunately, as far as learning more about the swallows was con- 
cerned, the writer left home shortly after and did not return for several 
months. 
During the summer of 1885 the birds were often watched while going 
to roost, and at such times all the specimens collected were adult males. 
The last visit was made in company with Dr. C. Hart Merriam on the 
evening of July 2d, and as on previous occasions we flushed the birds by 
striking the reeds with an oar. Hundreds of sand swallows and a few 
barn swallows wheeled about our heads and as the darkness was not in- 
tense we could readily make out their forms. 
The red-winged blackbird is anotherspecies which appears to leave its 
mate and family to spend the night in company with other males. 
While watching in this marsh during the early summer evenings the 
writer has seen flocks composed wholly of males flying in, from half an 
hour before sunset until dusk. Some of these bands contained a hun- 
dred or more noisy fellows, while others were made up of only eight or 
ten individuals. It is probable that all the males of a given inland 
marsh band together toward sunset and come to this great rendezvous 
to spend the night. 
Each flock is a delegation from the various marshes, bog swamps and 
pond holes; the larger ones represent the extensive marshes, while the 
few individuals come from some small isolated pond. The writer had 
intended to prove all this by going to several of the upland marshes be- 
fore daylight and watching for the return of the males. This intention 
however, was never carried out, but he hopes that others will take the 
trouble to examine the marshes in their neighborhood and learn if his 
observations are the exception or the rule. 
