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winter about Brookville. After a warm Christmas the weather changed. De- 

 cember 27 and 28, 1894, it became quite cold in this latitude. It remained warm 

 generally over the Southern States. On January 24, 1895, the temperature as far 

 south as 9buth Carolina was near the zero mark. It turned warmer that night, 

 and the next day, January 25, the weather was bright and clear. The day fol- 

 lowing was Friday. It rained, then snowed, the wind came down from the 

 northwest with great velocity, the temperature fell rapidly, everthing was ice- 

 bound or snowbound to the Gulf of Mexico, then followed weeks of unusual 

 severity. The cold weather of April was also especially severe over the territory 

 noted. The region afTected is the winter home of numbers of our birds. There 

 Robins, Bluebirds, Phoebes, Yellow-rump Warblers and House Wrens spend that 

 season. 



At the end of the severe weather in April, we are told, but few Eobins and 

 Bluebirds were to be found. The destruction of birds must have been enormous. 

 The Bluebirds seem to have been almost exterminated. An observer living at 

 Mt. Pleasant, S. C, says that when the April cold spell came millions of Robins 

 were congregated in that vicinity and they perished by thousands. The severe 

 weather had lasted so long and food was generally so scarce that they easily suc- 

 cumbed to the last effort of winter. The Yellow-rump Warbler and Hermit 

 Thrush are reported also to have suffered severely. Perhaps other kinds of birds 

 were also caught in that death dealing storm. The following notes on this and 

 other subjects are brought to your attention : 



1. Sialia sialis (Linn.), Bluebird. 



Early in the spring of 1895 accounts of the scarcity of the Bluebirds began 

 to be received. This scarcity was generally observed. Some of the particulars 

 are here given. 



At Redkey, Ind., Roy Hathaway sgiys he saw two Bluebirds February 24; 

 next seen April 7. He did not find a single pair breeding and only a few were 

 seen, probably six or seven. He saw four Sunday, August 18; three of them he 

 took to be young. He did not hear of any nests being found near there last 

 spring. 



At Greensburg, Ind., Prof. W. P. Shannon reports one seen February 24; 

 next seen March 12. He notes it is becoming less common. 



Mr. S. W. Collett, Upland, Ind., says: First seen March 25. Remarkably 

 scarce. Have not seen more than a dozen. 



Prof, (^lenn Culbertson. Hanover, Ind. First seen F'ebrnary 2;>, one; next, 

 February 28; next, March 1. Decreasing in numbers. 



Angus Gaines, Vincennes, Ind., says they are absent this year. 



