Preface 
of 1917 and 1918 were so stormy that they 
are not likely to be soon forgotten by any 
member who was present. JRamifications 
such as these I have indicated show that 
the subjects of Birds and the War might 
be prolonged to infinity; my method of 
dealing with it makes no claim to finality. 
Had I extended the range of my notes to 
include the effect of the war on Animals, 
Reptiles, and Insects, I might have recorded 
many strange stories; but none more re- 
markable than that of the frogs in the marshy 
Aillette district, which are alleged, when the 
Germans were preparing to storm the Chemins 
des Dames, to have croaked so vociferously 
that they enabled the enemy to bring up 
their batteries and ammunition columns with- 
out discovery, whilst when the attack was 
actually launched the frogs’ deafening con- 
cert prevented the location of the hostile 
machine guns (Lokalanzeiger, 3.vii.18). I 
have, however, tried to keep within the limits 
prescribed by my title—BirDs AND THE WAR. 
This introduction will explain the concep- 
tion of my work in which I am aware that 
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