go The Irish NainraJist. June, 



the refugees from the snow-covered area than against 

 the birds previously in possession of the ground ; and I 

 have no doubt that both were severely affected, so that 

 the extermination wrought by the snow may prove to have 

 been much more widespread than the extent of ground 

 actuallv covered. 



The average depth of the snowfall of January 26th 

 in this district was fifteen inches. From notes kept at 

 Ballyhyland during the past fifty-six years it appears that 

 this depth had been measured once — but only once — 

 before, on the occasion of the great snow-storm of 

 January 17th, 1881. In 1881, however, the snow had 

 nearly all gone by January 31st, whereas in 1917 it had 

 barely begun to relax its hold after three weeks, and patches 

 still lay unmelted on the 15th of March. 



The severity of its effect on bird-life was, of course, 

 much increased by the long sufferings previously under- 

 gone during man}^ weeks of frost. The progressive severity 

 of the season can be illustrated by the case of the Song- 

 Thrush (Turdus nmsicus). During the long December 

 frost the roadsides were lined with starving birds of this 

 species, belonging both to the Continental and to the British 

 form ; but there were then no Blackbirds in the distressed 

 crowd, the hardier constitution of the last-named bird 

 enabling it to shift pretty well for itself, while hundreds 

 of Thrushes were perishing all round. Very different was 

 the scene a week after the coming of the snow. The road- 

 sides were now lined with starving Blackbirds, and the 

 Song-Thrush was as conspicuous by its absence (though 

 for a tragically difterent reason) as the Blackbird had 

 been during the earlier troubles. The fate that now 

 seemed to overhang the stronger bird had already befallen 

 the weaker. 



The British Song-Thrush {Turdus musicus Clarkii) was 

 not, indeed, one of the five resident birds that were totally 

 exterminated in this district. A remnant survived, and 

 T think we had about one-twentieth part of the usual 

 number of Thrushes singing in our fields during March. 

 But it does not follow that anything like that proportion 

 had lived through the winter in this country. No Thrushes 



