PROBLEMS OF BIRD LIFE 71 



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The elements frequently catch birds unaware 

 and overpower them. A sudden wind or storm 

 will drive coast-flying birds hundreds of miles out 

 to sea, and oceanic birds may be blown as far 

 inland. Hurricanes in the West Indies are said to 

 cause the death of innumerable birds, as well as 

 of other creatures. From such a cause small 

 islands are known to have become completely de- 

 populated of their feathered inhabitants. Vio- 

 lent hailstorms, coming in warm weather without 

 warning, are quite common agents in the destruc- 

 tion of birds, and in a city thousands of English 

 sparrows have been stricken during such a storm. 

 After a violent storm of wet snow in the middle 

 West, myriads of Lapland longspurs were once 

 found dead in the streets and suburbs of several 

 villages. On the surface of two small lakes, a 

 conservative estimate of the dead birds was a mil- 

 lion and a half ! 



The routes which birds follow in migrating 

 north and south sometimes extend over consider- 

 able stretches of water, as across the Caribbean 

 Sea, but the only birds which voluntarily brave 

 the dangers of the open ocean are those which, 

 from ability to swim, or great power of flight, can 

 trust themselves far away from land. Not infre- 

 quently a storm will drive birds away from the 

 land and carry them over immense distances, and 

 this accounts for the occasional appearance of 

 land birds near vessels far out at sea. Overcome 



