EFFECT OF DROUGHT UPON ANIMAL LIFE. 465 



THE EFFECT OF PROLONGED DROUGHT UPON 



ANIMAL LIFE.* 



By Dr. CHARLES C. ABBOTT. 



FROM July G to October 31, 1895, both inclusive, a period of 

 one hundred and eighteen days, there were but seven days 

 when brief showers occurred, no one exceeding one tenth of an 

 inch of rain ; and there were four days when prolonged, heavy 

 showers occurred, no one exceeding seven tenths of an inch of 

 rain ; and three days, or parts of twenty-four hours, when the 

 fog condensed and for a brief time a drizzle or " Scotch mist " 

 prevailed. 



The more prolonged rains occurring September 26th and Octo- 

 ber 13th caused little brooks, that had been dry for several weeks, 

 to " run " for forty-eight hours, but there was no freshening of the 

 weeds or grass on either upland or meadow. About our door- 

 yards and along the headlands, even where shaded by rank weed 

 growths and the fences, the ordinary grass was brittle, brown, and 

 resting flat upon the earth. Before the beginning of September 

 the landscape had a scorched appearance, this applying also to the 

 foliage of several species of deciduous trees. By this time, too, 

 the last trace of surface moisture had disappeared from the ordi- 

 narily wet or " mucky " meadows. 



During this time, even at its close, I did not notice any appreci- 

 able diminution of the volume of water flowing from the hillside 

 and meadow-surface spring.'*, although I learned that many wells 

 had partly or wholly failed. But, in all cases save one that I 

 examined, the water did not pass over its usual course and join 

 ordinarily permanent brooks, and through them reach the river. 

 The extremely dry ground immediately about the springs absorbed 

 the entire outflow at greater or less distances from their sources. 

 Of course, near the springs there was the usual luxuriance of 

 aquatic and semi-aquatic vegetation, and, what is of interest to 

 the zoologist, an abnormal abundance or overcrowding of animal 

 life in these oasitic areas. 



The continued presence of animal life depends upon the food 

 supply. It is equally evident that no form of animal life can sur- 

 vive for any protracted period an absence of moisture. During 

 the prevalence of the drought heavy dews doubtless afforded a 

 sufficiently copious morning draught to slake the thirst for a 

 period of twenty-four hours, and so met the needs of small mam- 



* This article treats of an area of about two thousand acres of upland and meadow in 

 the Delaware River Valle)', lying between Trenton and Bordentown, Mercer County, New 

 Jersey. 



VOL. XLVIII. 33 



