During the past summer, the plants mentioned below were measured by the writer in northern Kansas. A number of species grew far beyond the height mentioned in our manuals, although there was a very severe drought the entire summer. The height given probably approaches the maximum in but few cases and a better growing season might produce a very noticeable increase in size. The measurements are given in comparison with those of Britton and Brown’s Flora.
| Britton. | Measured. | |
|---|---|---|
| Polygonum lapathifolium L. | 3 ft. | 8 ft. |
| Polygonum camporum Meisn. | 3 | 6¼ |
| Froelichia floridiana (Nutt.) Moq. | 4 | 5 |
| Chenopodium album L. | 10 | 12½ |
| Anemone virginiana L. (Ohio) | 3 | 3½ |
| Polanisia trachysperma T. & G. | 1½ | 2¾ |
| Cassia chamaecrista L. | 2½ | 5⅔ |
| Astragalus carolinianus L. | 4 | 5½ |
| Meibomia illinoensis (Gr.) Ktz. | 4 | 7 |
| Euphorbia dentata Michx. | 1¼ | 4 |
| Euphorbia hexagona Nutt. | 1⅔ | 5 |
| Euphorbia nutans Lag. | 2 | 3¼ |
| Ceanothus ovatus Desf. | 4 | |
| Ammannia coccinea Rottb. | 1⅔ | 3 |
| Gaura parviflora Dougl. | 5 | 12 |
| Stenosiphon linifolium (Nutt.) Britt. | 5 | 8 |
| Onosmodium molle Michx. | 2 | 2½ |
| Lycopus americanus Muhl. | 2 | 5 |
| Mentha canadensis L. | 2½ | 3 |
| Mimulus ringens L. | 3 | 3½ |
| Lacinaria punctata (Hook.) Ktz. | 2½ | 3 |
| Helianthus giganteus L. (Ohio) | 12 | 13 |
| Coreopsis tripteris L. (Ohio) | 8 | 9 |
| Carduus altissimus L. | 10 | 11 |
THE BIRDS OF CEDAR POINT, SANDUSKY.
R. L. Baird.
The following list of birds I observed on Cedar Point within two miles of its extremity, from July 30th to August 20th, 1901, while a student at the O. S. U. Lake Laboratory. The list is not so complete as it might be. I found the birds I did for the most part in short daily visits of about an hour each, generally in the afternoon. One whole day I spent on the Point and two half days. With one exception, that of the American Herring Gull, I think all the species named nest in the neighborhood of Cedar Point. The list ought to be much extended by going over the part nearer the mainland. I think at least fifteen or twenty more species ought to be found there as summer residents.
I rode from Oberlin to Sandusky several times and the additional species I saw in Erie county I shall add in a list by themselves. The most noticeable of these were the Bank Swallows. They were in immense flocks along the road from Sandusky to Huron. Sometimes as many as five hundred would alight on two lengths of telephone wire.
The Long-billed Marsh Wrens were quite common all the time in the reeds to the west of the Point. They were not singing, however, after August 5th. The swamps upon the Point supplied many of the shore birds. In a flock there were generally Bartramian, Pectoral, Spotted and Semipalmated Sandpipers, Semipalmated Plover, and Killdeers. It was a common thing during the last week to hear the Coots in the marsh west of the Point. Pied-billed Grebes were also tolerably common there. The Bald Eagles were probably a pair which had a nest nearer the mainland. The American Bittern I quote on the authority of Mr. Field, of Dennison College.
I use the order of the latest A. O. U. check-list. The following abbreviations I add after each species: C.—common; Tc.—tolerably common; Fe.—few; figures indicate the exact number seen.
CEDAR POINT LIST.
6. Pied-billed Grebe, Podilymbus podiceps. Tc. 51a. American Herring Gull, Larus argentatus smithsonianus. 1. 70. Common Tern, Sterna hirundo. C. 77. Black Tern, Hydrochelidon nigra surinamensis. Fe. 190. American Bittern, Botaurus lentiginosus. Fe. 191. Least Bittern, Ardetta exilis. Fe. 194. Great Blue Heron, Ardea herodias. Tc. 201. Green Heron, Ardea virescens. Tc. 212. Virginia Rail, Rallus virginianus. Tc.