JOURNAL OF MAINE ORNITHOLOGlCAIv SOCIETY. 91 



For myself, I have killed this year less than one-third as many 

 Grouse as last season, and have seen about one-fifth as many. I 

 note a considerable reduction in last year's (1906) crop over that of 

 the year before — when it seemed as though the highest point was 

 reached — and a much greater falling off in this year's supply over 

 that of the year before. 



For this state of affairs various reasons have been advanced, 

 among others a hard winter, and an epidemic of some sort, but I 

 beg to offer the following facts as worthy of attention in considering 

 this matter. 



On examination of the records of the Weather Bureau at Port- 

 land, Me., I find these statistics: 



For April, 1905, a daily average temperature of one degree 

 below normal; snow, none; rain, 1.43 inches, a very small amount. 

 This means usual amount of heat and no cold storms, with plenty of 

 sunshine. 



For May, 1905, a daily average temperature of one and one- 

 half degrees below normal; no snow; a rainfall of 2.58 inches in a 

 month whose normal rainfall is 3.60 inches, about two-thirds of the 

 average. Both Grouse and local Woodcock were in good numbers 

 the following fall, the Grouse especially abundant here. 



Rainfall for June, 1905, slightly less than normal, 3.08 inches; 

 probably no loss of chicks from this cause. 



For April, 1906, we find that twenty and one-half inches of 

 snow fell, of which fifteen inches fell upon the tenth of the month. 

 This came at about the height of the Woodcock nesting and may 

 account for the shortage of Ivong Bills last season. The daily aver- 

 age of temperature for the month was two degrees below normal; 

 rainfall, 3.53 inches, thus just less than normal. 



For May, 1906, temperature was normal, with rainfall slightly 

 above normal, but of this 3.5 inches fell on the 27th, 28th and 29th, 

 when nesting was mainly over, leaving a comparatively warm and 

 dry period from April 15th to May 26th, the main nesting period of 

 the Ruffed Grouse. 



