458 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. [Pub. Doc. 



that he was out ahiiost every day, and never found birds, 

 especially warljlers, vireos and flycatchers, so scarce. He 

 also states that birds of the warbler family were very scarce 

 in Worcester County all the spring, and that he saw only 

 one redstart, — a bird usually common. 



Most of the warblers and vireos are believed to winter in, 

 or near, the tropics. They are probably exposed to great 

 perils in crossing the Gulf of Mexico. Until their southern 

 range and the climatic conditions prevailing there become 

 matters of accurate record, and the laws governing bird 

 migration are better understood, the cause of the occasional 

 scarcity of these birds in the spring migrations can only be 

 conjectured. 



Whatever may have been the cause of the general scarcity 

 of birds during the spring flight, the meteorological condi- 

 tions of the spring and early summer were very destructive 

 to bird life. 



In seeking the cause of this mortality I have been greatly 

 assisted by Director J. W. Smith of the New England sec- 

 tion of the United States Weather Bureau at Boston, who 

 has kindly ofi'ered me opportunity to inspect his records. I 

 am indebted to Dr. C. A. Goessmann for meteorological re- 

 ports of the Hatch Experimijnt Station of the Massachusetts 

 Agricultural College at Amherst ; also to many correspond- 

 ents in Massachusetts and other New England and adjacent 

 States who have contributed information. According to 

 the climate and crop reports of the New England section 

 of the United States Weather Bureau, the principal feature 

 of the month of May, 1903, was a remarkable drought. No 

 rain of any importance fell after the middle of April. There 

 was much sunshine, unusually high temperatures and mod- 

 erately high drying winds. The thermometer reached or 

 passed 90°, at difterent dates, in all the New England States. 

 During the last ten days of the month the temperature was 

 cooler, with killing frosts in many localities, which injured 

 vegetation, especially the blossoms of small fruits. In his 

 summary Mr. Smith says: "It is probably safe to assume 

 that the past May has left a record that will not soon be for- 

 gotten or equalled. Especially is this true as regards the 



