Trumpeter Lake 255 ompsor Yellowstone June 17, 1932 or crows (many crows in the valley this year) had spooled the nest in the absence of the swans (both swans have been leaving the lake for hours at a time this season, perhaps due to the late spring & scarcity of food) had broken the eggs & attempted to fly away with the embryos. This would account for the scattered shells. This morning, the swans were feeding quietly on the lakes. They did not go near the nest at any time up till 4:00 PM, when we left, nor did they show much excitement at our presence. Wright suggests that possibly the nesting instinct is [illegible] diminishing since it is already 8 days past the hatching dates for the 2 previous years. Even if the young had hatched & matured successfully, they would have been so late that it is doubtful whether they could have flown by winter. I thought I saw an excess of bowing as though courting gestures were still in evidence. Am not positive about this point. Portion of a muskrat ? skeleton was found on the island. The bill had been