The weather during February, March, and April was marked by cloudy skies and strong north winds which delayed the advent of spring to the extent that by April 20 none of the wild flowers were blooming in the area around the Twin Cities except the skunk cabbage and by May 1 willows were the only trees showing the first tiny green leaves. The spring season was retarded abQut two weeks. During the late winter and early spring the cold extended far south of Minnesota so that some of the species of birds migrated later than normally.

On March 22 ducks began arriving in the Minnesota River lowlands where there was still very little open water.

On this date blue-winged teal, greenwinged teal, pintails, mallards, goldeneyes, American mergansers, and cormorants were observed. By April 4, scaups, ring-necked ducks, canvasbacks, wood ducks, and buffle-heads appeared.

It is this observer's opinion that, compared to others years, there were very few ducks in this area. Hunters and sportsmen making observations on these same dates said that the duck population was so small in this and other parts of the state that it might be wise to have a closed duck season.

The number of geese migrating through western Minnesota and the Dakotas was about normal. Only one flock of geese was reported in the Twin City area. About forty snow geese flew over the Cedar Avenue bridge on April 4.

Whistling swans were reported by Mr. and Mrs. W. E. Peterson on April 11. In the Minnesota River bottom lands, thirty-five were counted April 12 by Harvey Gunderson. They remained only a few days.

A report of sandhill cranes, an unusual occurrence in this area, was sent to this writer by Miss Severena C.

Holmberg. Miss Holmberg states as follows: "On Sunday, April 13, while at the lzaak Walton League Bass Pond, the members of the Minneapolis Bird Club, including myself, saw two sandhill cranes fly over. They were also observed with a twenty power spotting scope. Apparently they had gotten off the regular migration route." About a dozen glacous gulls were reported in the Duluth Harbor on March 30 by Dr. Olgo Lakela. Also that hundreds of redpolls and snow buntings were flying north on that date. Dr.

Lakela stated that evening grosbeaks were common and pine grosbeaks were frequently seen in the Duluth area during March. There were reports of grosbeaks from other parts of the state.

Among the most interesting was one by Mrs. W. F. Vance who reported evening grosbeaks at the home of H. C.

Rector near St. Paul. They came to the feeder February 2 and on May 7 they were still in the vicinity. At times as many as thirty-six were seen. There was only one report on Bohemian waxwings.

April 9, William Kilgore saw sixteen.

No large hawk migration was reported though a fair-sized one occurred along the Minnesota River on March 23 and another on April 12.

During the latter part of April, heavy rains and snows caused the Minnesota River to rise to a hig-her level than usual. It overflowed into the lowlands so that on Mav 3 the winter I was very high forming a lake. Rails in large numbers were seen by this writer on that date. Broken stems of rushes formed rafts along the shore line. Virginia and ~ora rails daintily walked about feeding on these rafts. 'l'h, y were very tame and though at times they were only a few feet away, they paid no attention to me. In this area there appeared to be less than half the normal number of coots.

Martins arrived on April 12, tree swallows April 18, and the various spe- cies of sparrows and blackbirds appeared on or near their regular migration dates. Shon~ birds were scarce up to May 1, semipalmated plovers were observed May 3.

Myrtle warblers were here in numbers on April 24, but a few individuals were seen prior to this date. Palm and black and white warblers were seen here by May 5, though they appeared singly or in flocks of two or three.