Nature Bulletin No. 8  March 31, 1945
Forest Preserve District of Cook County
Clayton F, Smith, President
Roberts Mann, Superintendent of Conservation

(Editorial Note:  We finally wake up to the fact that these bulletins have 
been much to long. Henceforth, what they lack in factual material will 
be offset by printability.)

****:A PHENOMENAL SPRING

So far, this spring has broken all records for the past 75 years. The last 
killing frost was on March 8. Previously, the earliest final frost was on 
March 20, 1925. The average date is April 15.

Trees, wildflowers and insects are more than a month ahead of normal. 
Bluebirds, meadow larks and redwing blackbirds were seen on February 
27. Skunk cabbage bloomed in Black Partridge forest preserve on 
March 10. At night on March 13, the first moths appeared at windows; 
on March 15, the first tiny bugs. The blue squill (scilla) bloomed, the 
female crayfish had hatched and were carrying their young, and cricket 
frogs were heard on March 15, Sunday, March 25, the forsythia burst 
into yellow bloom and the first spring beauty flowered in the woods.

Today, the 28th, the preserves are carpeted with wildflowers of many 
kinds, including violets, spring beauty, hepatica, bloodroot, leopard' s 
tongue, dutchman' s breeches and rue anemone. Dragonflies and 
bumble bees dart through the air. Some trees are in leaf. Wrens have 
been heard. Folks are planting gardens .

There is one thing ominously missing. The birds usually here when all 
this budding, leafing and blooming takes place have not arrived. We 
hope they are not prophets of freezing weather to come.