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mouth of Havasu Creek (mile 157); Reilly saw bats at Spring Canyon (mile 204.3-R). Fresh bat guano was seen by early visitors to Christmas Tree Cave (mile 134-R). The Old Timers specifically mentioned a decrease in bats. Cutter, Nevills Reiff, and Nevills Staveley mentioned a large increase in swallows in the "Furnace Flats" reach of the river (miles 65 to 73). The change was attributed to an increase in insects using tamarisk. Litton's opinion was that the swallows are possibly a different species from the one that typically lived next to the unregulated river. Although Cliff Swallows were common before Glen Canyon Dam, Violet-Green Swallows are common now. Litton attributes the change to lack of mud along the river that Cliff Swallows need for nest construction. Otis "Dock" Marston and P. T. Reilly occasionally saw eagles (most likely Golden Eagles). Frank Masland (1948) mentions two Golden Eagles in western Grand Canyon. On the Old Timers Trip, several participants saw the peregrine falcons and mentioned that these raptors were not something they had not seen along the pre-dam river corridor. Most Old Timers were surprised when we saw several turkeys on the 1994, trip. Cross II, however, remembered seeing turkeys at the mouth of Boucher Creek (mile 96.7-L) in the early 1960s. Insects Various types of insects were bothersome to pre- dam river runners. Stanton had problems with bugs at Hance Rapid (mile 76.8) in 1890; he described "flies, millers, and moths flying about." Goldwater complained that his body was covered with welts from nocturnal bug bites at the end of his 1940 trip. Nevills and Goldwater mention "deer flies" at mile 68 that were so bad that they kept the river party up all night in 1940; Mildred Baker also mentions mayflies at Tanner Rapid (mile 68) at the same time. In 1937, Holmstrom wrote that "lots of spiders & gnats & ants" were at a camp near mile 160. Reilly discusses "many large black flies" that pestered their trip at mile 80 in 1964; he wrote about the "hum of everpresent flies" in 1956. In some years (1942), Nevills complained vehemently about flies at Diamond Creek; in others (1947), he observed no flies. Nevills blamed their abundance on the presence of livestock, which likely refers to feral burros that once roamed parts of the canyon. Red ants were particularly bothersome all throughout the river corridor. Both Nevills and Reilly complained about them in 1942 and 1957, respectively. In particular, Nevills found that "bugs and red ants are a nuisance" at Spring Canyon (mile 204.3-R). Reilly notes aphids on plants at Hermit Rapid (mile 95.1) in 1958, and scorpions are routinely mentioned in the diaries. Baker saw velvet ants at Diamond Creek (mile 225.8-L) in 1940, but did not indicate if they were bothersome. The frequency of complaints about obnoxious bugs increases in diaries of trips taken after low-water runoff in the Colorado River with some notable exceptions, particularly red ants. This could explain why some pre-dam river runners (e.g., Nichols) do not remember pestilent insects, whereas others (e.g., Reilly) complained vehemently about them. Nichols was on river trips in mid-summer, after recession of the spring flood, while Reilly frequently timed his trips to coincide with the peak discharge of the spring flood (typically, mid-May to mid-June). "" Beavers Beavers were commonly observed in the pre- dam river, as they are today. For example, Edward McKee recorded evidence of beaver at four sites downstream from Bright Angel Creek (mile 87.8-R) in 1937; on the same trip, Sharp observed beaver sign at sites throughout Grand Canyon and at the same time Holmstrom noted beaver tracks at mile 192. The presence of beavers typically resulted in an entry in Reilly's diary, so sightings could be cataloged. Even more notes were made on beaver effects on riparian vegetation. The exception is the experience of George Flavell (Flavell, 1987), who found no beaver to trap in summer 1896. Otters Sightings of river otters were common on some historic river trips. Edwards observed two otters at Turquoise Rapid (mile 102.1) on February 14, 1890. He expressed surprise and mentioned he had never seen otters before. Stone (1932) reported otter tracks at about every camp down to Waltenberg Rapid (mile 112.3). In 1911, Lauzon "scared up an otter" near Serpentine Rapid (mile 106.1) and nearly shot one on the lower Colorado River. On his 1937 trip, McKee reported otter tracks at the mouth of Tapeats Creek . 24 OBSERVATIONS OF ENVIRONMENTAL CHANGE IN GRAND CANYON