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Canadian Forcslrij Journal, June, 191H 



War and The Birds 



By N, TouRNKiK, Thundersley, England. 



Certain wild things, as a rule, 

 seem unfrightened and wholly undis- 

 turbed by the long spells of the 

 tremendously heavy gun-fire on the 

 Western Front. It is singular to 

 note that, though the birds there 

 may be silenced by a thunder-storm 

 they sing continuously through the 

 deafening roar of a heavy bombard- 

 ment of the trenches. The lark rises 

 singing between the lines, ahd the 

 wren plays among the brambles, 

 despite the thundering of the guns. 



When, as in the Forest of Argonne, 

 one leaves the more leafy soil of the 

 surface path for the mud of a com- 

 munication trench, — ^and surround- 

 ings where trees and undergrowth 

 have suffered more severely, and 

 where one can only set his foot at the 

 risk of his life, — -plant, insect, and 

 bird life again go on undisturbed. It 

 is, as it were, as if war with all its 

 appalling turmoil had now become 

 so familiar to the kingdom of birds 

 and wild animals that it had lost its 

 power to frighten. 



During the winter and spring of 

 1914 and 1915, however, wild ani- 

 mals of all kinds, scared by the heavy 

 cannon and rifle firing, fled from 

 Germany and parts of Austria, and 

 entered the Swiss forests and the 

 Alps. They included wild boars, 

 deer of several kinds, goats, etc., 

 as well as innumerable wild fowl; and, 

 in the Lower Engadine, even bears 

 entered the Swiss Yellowstone Park, 

 as it is termed. The lakes and rivers 

 of Switzerland were crowded by the 

 denizens of the air and the marshes, 

 and fowlers were busy, till shooting 

 was prohibited by the Swiss author- 

 ities, and sharp imprisonment instead 

 of fines dealt out to offenders against 

 the law. The strangers were then 

 allowed to have a rest in peace and 

 comfort before continuing their jour- 

 ney southward to warmer climes. 



There is no doubt whatever it was 

 the war that frightened the animals 



and birds from their accustomed 

 haunts, and crowded the Swiss lakes 

 and forests. A large number of wild 

 bears from the Black Forest entered 

 the Jura Alps, across Alsace and 

 Lorraine, and in passing through the 

 fighting armies were noticed by many 

 of the scouts and other soldiers. 



Use and wont, however, prevail 

 in wild life, even as they do in human 

 Deer again feed in the glades of the 

 Forest of Argonne, despite the hurri- 

 cane of shells that may fall but a few 

 miles away, till everything green 

 disappears, shredded and pulverized, 

 into the torn earth, and only stumps 

 of trees are left protesting mutely 

 against the folly of man. And, here, 

 too, in the Forest of Argonne, an 

 officer taking his morning ride may 

 come upon the magnificent wild 

 boars still frequenting the lonely 

 thickets. 



It may be probable, though, that 

 this long period of great hostiUties is 

 influencing bird life in another and 

 more remarkable way. The roar of 

 the heavy artillery may possibly have 

 diverted or retarded the movements 

 of birds on their migratory course. 

 And a curious effect has been noticed 

 in the Midlands of England, and 

 elsewhere: every year since the war 

 began, the swallows and martins and 

 other migrants are loath, very loath, 

 to leave. 



The Forestry Journal will be 

 sent to any address in Canada 

 for One Dollar a Year. . . . 



