WILD LIFE OF ORCHARD AND FIELD 



into an atmosphere that cuts the skin like the 

 impinging of innumerable particles of frost, and 

 shrivels every object with cold or buries it under 

 dry and drifting snow. Then it is that the small 

 birds, caught unprepared, suffer. At first, such 

 as are overcome seem unusually active, running 

 about apparently in search of food, but taking 

 little notice of one's approach. "Should one 

 attempt to fly," writes a recent observer, "it im- 

 mediately falls on its back as if shot. The legs 

 and toes are stretched out to their farthest extent, 

 and are quite rigid; the eyes protrude, are insen- 

 sible to the touch, and the whole * body quivers 

 slightly. It remains in this state from one to two 

 minutes, when it recovers suddenly, and seems as 

 active as before. If taken in the hand, it will im- 

 mediately go into convulsions, even if it has been 

 in a warm room for several hours and has been 

 supplied plentifully with food. Death usually puts 

 an end to its suffering in a day or two. " 



Such catastrophes are more likely to occur, how- 

 ever, in the spring, after the birds have begun to 

 come northward, than in the steadier weather of 

 January; and even the song-sparrows and snow- 

 birds, which have successfully withstood the rig- 

 ors of the lowest midwinter temperature, as often 



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