470 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. [Pub. Doc. 



observed, all insect-eating birds suiiered excessively for lack 

 of food." Mr. C. K. Reed corroborates this, enumerating 

 the different species found dead. 



Probably warblers, thrushes, flycatchers, vireos, swallows, 

 swifts, night hawks and martins especially sulfered most 

 from this cause. The enormous destruction among the war- 

 biers will never be appreciated, as few people observed the 

 warblers l)reeding at this time, for the woods and shrubl.iery 

 (as I know by experience) were so wet as to drench com- 

 pletely any one going into their breeding i)laces. I knew of 

 but one case in which a warbler brought her 3'oung out 

 safely during this period. They left the nest on the 20th, 

 but were not seen after that date. The nest was in a shel- 

 tered location on the ground, on a dry hillside in thick 

 woods. I was out during the heaviest rain of the 21st to 

 observe its eft'ect on birds. Hardly a bird could be seen in 

 the woods. Evidentl}^ they were making no attempt to feed 

 their young at that time. Mr. Bangs saw kingbirds on the 

 ground trjdng to pick up dead bees or other insects. The 

 flycatchers, except phoebes, })robably raised very few young. 

 Bluel)irds and wrens were more fortunate, while woodpeckers 

 did very well. Woodpeckers had the advantage over all 

 other insectivorous birds, their young as well as their insect 

 food beino- sheltered from the storm. Bluebirds did not all 

 escape. Many sets of eggs were lost, but on the whole they 

 bred very well, for most of them had already attempted to 

 rear one brood, many with success, and in many cases the 

 second brood did not hatch until the storms were over. 



Man}^ observers report that ground-nesting birds, other 

 than those having their nests overwhelmed by the floods, lost 

 eggs or young. They seem to have suffered as severely as 

 those nesting in trees or shrubber3^ Mr. H. W. Tinkham 

 of Swansea, Bristol Count}", states that the meadow larks, 

 which were quite connnon in his vicinity, lost nearly all 

 their first broods. The bob white or quail he believes did 

 not suffer so nmch, as some had raised young before the 

 storm ; but such as had eggs or young at the time lost them. 



The destruction of the nests, eggs and young of brown 

 thrashers, towhees, ground sparrows and ovenbirds is re- 



