BULLBTIN Nu. 35 35 



Blue Ja\s. This completed my very weak hori/.en for the day. 

 After this the birds be^un to strao;jvle back, but at least two- 

 thirds of them failed to return, while a total disappearance of 

 the Juncos was noted. 



The 2ist of the month was warm, pleasant and sprin.y like. 

 iWakinjj; a tour through the woods upon this date 1 noticed a de- 

 cided fallino; off attain of the birds, particularly, those which are 

 known as winter residents. This was no doubt caused by the 

 entire destruction of nearly all plant life, thereby wiping out 

 the food supply and compelling the victims to migrate to more 

 favorable feeding grounds. 



Everything in the shape of a leaf or a bird had been killed; 

 the leaves of the cane which remain green throughout our 

 severest winters, had been frozen and dangled like scalded 

 strings from their stems. 



The grasses in the swamps, and otlier moist places, where 

 the bu'ds not (jnly found protection from the weather, but an 

 ample supply of food as well, were lying flat in the mud and 

 water. 



It is remarkable that while the cold wave undoubtedly eli- 

 minated large numbers of birds, 1 did not in all my tramps dis- 

 cover a single verification of the fact. 



A plausible reason for this might be that the birds foresee- 

 ing their coming danger attempted to escape to a better pro- 

 tected locality, many of them in their flight perishing from 

 hunger and exhaustion. This theory is partly substantiated by 

 an article {Auk, April 1899, page 197) written upon this sub- 

 ject by Mr. Arthur T. Wayne, of Mount Pleasant, S. C, who 

 says in his article as follows: "To say that Fox Sparrows, 

 and Snow-birds were frozen to death by the millions, is not an 

 an exaggerated statement, but a conservative one." "There 

 was a tremendous migration of Fox Sparrows, on Monday 13th, 

 following the coast line of the mainlaind." "The Woodcock 

 arrived in countless thousands." "Prior to their arrival, I 

 had seen but two birds the entire winter." "Tens of thou- 

 sands were killed by would be sportsmen, and thousands were 

 frozen to death." 



It is reasonable to suppose that these birds were driven to 



