This is the most important season of the year, the time of reproduction, of making up for the losses of the other three seasons. Nesting season success usually is difficult to assess in the short time required to make this report unless one has the sophisticated equipment (planes, helicopters, personnel, ‘computers) that we now can afford to expend only on birds of special importance such as game and threatened species. In another year the Breeding Bird Survey should be able to provide us with timely information with the aid of computers, provided of course that the observers themselves report promptly and follow the rules. Even though it measures the breeding stock rather than the young produced the Breedin g Bird Survey is a tremendous step forward in measuring our bird populations.