wholly unable to get food for either themselves or their young, and the majority 
of them left this region. The Martin houses, when cleaned out, were found to 
contain young, eggs and some adults that had starved rather than desert their 
family. The Martins did not return in 1904 or 1905. 
Birds are subject to a great many accidents, chiefly by flying into objects at 
night. Telephone and telegraph wires maim or kill thousands, while lighthouses 
and steeples often cause the ground to be strewn with bodies during migrations. 
Other accidents are caused by storms, fatigue while crossing large bodies of 
water, nests falling from trees because of an insecure support, and ground nests 
being trod upon by man, horses and cattle. 
In the vicinity of cities, towns, villages or farms, one of the most fertile 
sources of danger to bird life is from cats. Even the most gentle household pet, 
if allowed its liberty out of doors, will get its full quota of birds during the year, 
while homeless cats, and many that are not, will average several hundred birds 
apiece during the season. After years of careful observation, Mr. E. H. Forbush, 
Mass. state ornithologist, has estimated that the average number of birds killed, 
per cat population, is about fifty. If a dog kills sheep or deer, he is shot and the 
owner has to pay damages; if a man is caught killing a bird, he pays a fine; but 
cats are allowed to roam about without restriction, leaving death and destruction 
in their wake. All homeless cats should be summarily dealt with, and all pets 
AP be housed, at least from May until August, when the young birds are able 
oO fly. 
9 
