No. 4.] DESTRUCTION OF BIKDS. 475 



he reached Hani})doii County, where between Ilolyoke and 

 Springfield he saw over two hundred. 



From A\'oieester, Professor Hodge rei)ort,s that swifts died 

 in great numbers flune H) and 20, and M'ere found dying on 

 lawns. From one h)cality two hundred and fifty dead birds 

 Avere reported. Later lie Avritcs tliat there was a large 

 colony in a chinmey of Clark University, — he thinks two 

 thousand birds would be a low estimate of its numbers. 

 The watchman informed him that he took out "bushels" of 

 dead birds when cleaning out the pit at the bottom of the 

 chimni'v. The swifts in the adjoining town of Millbury 

 also suffered severel3^ 



]\[r. ^Nlaynard of Shrewsbury reports no swifts seen since 

 the storm, although they were plenty before it. Mr. AMiite 

 of Xorth Orange noticed a scarcity of swifts ; but from the 

 Connecticut valley Avest nearly to the Xew York line oiilv 

 three reports out of seventeen mention the destruction of 

 these birds or their nests. 



The best local report in regard to the destruction of purple 

 martins b}^ the storm is given by Mr. J. A. Farley. It is 

 so full and accurate in detail, and is so nearly typical as to 

 the general effect [)roduced on these birds by the storm in 

 eastern Massachusetts, that most of it is here given : — 



In regard to the destruction of martins at the colony on the 

 estate of E. G. Russell, P^sq., in Lynnfleld Centre, during the 

 week of June 21, 1903, I have to report that the weather was 

 exceedingly cold for the time of j'ear on the night of Saturday, 

 June 20, and on Sunday, June 21. It began raining rather heavily 

 at 7.30 e.Ai., June 20, and continued through the night. It rained 

 steadily, and most of the time heavily, from Saturday night 

 through Sunday and into Sunday night. Presumably the rain 

 continued through the night, for on Monday, June 22, it rained 

 early. It did not rain for the major part of the forenoon of the 

 22d, but was cloudy and cool until noon, when the sun attempted 

 to break through the clouds. The sun shone to some extent in 

 the afternoon, and it was warmer, but there was no definite clear- 

 ing weather. 



Of course no martins, or practically any other birds, were seen 

 on Sunday during such a rainfall. Our supposition was that the 

 martins were within their houses. On Monday (22d) I noticed 



