49G BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. [Pub. Doc. 



Avasted from starvation. He says that from January 10 to 

 20 the thermometer at his house averao;ed about 15° below 

 zero at daylight, and the day.s were very eold. Five tree 

 sparrows came into the barn at this time for shelter, and 

 remained there day and niglit. When driven out they came 

 back, and would come around his feet to feed on crumbs 

 thrown down for them. At this time he was also feeding 

 twelve chickadees. When the cold weather passed there 

 were only five left. 



Most reports indicate that where birds were well fed, nut- 

 hatches and downy woodpeckers wintered very well ; else- 

 where they have had a hard time. The trees were frozen 

 so hard that drilling into them for insects was difficult, and 

 the woodpeckers have been operating on dry cedar rails and 

 posts, and under the eaves of log and slab shanties in the 

 woods. 



Many chickadees were undoubtedly^ frozen during the 

 coldest weather. In my recent tramps through the woods 

 only three to five of these birds per day have been seen. 

 Professor Ilodge reports that of two nuthatches and four 

 chickadees which he fed, only one chickadee was left on 

 March 4. They disappeared during the winter, and one 

 chickadee was found dead in the snow. He had kept all 

 manner of bird food out aliout the place, and the downy 

 woodpeckers fared well all winter. Mr. Loring reports find- 

 ing a dead chickadee, and Mr. McKechnie reports finding 

 two which he believes died from exposure, for he was feed- 

 ing the birds. Mr. Baynes reports one chickadee and one 

 junco found by the roadside. Here, owing to his eftbrts 

 and to those of the superintendent of the Middlesex Fells 

 Reservation, an abundance of food was provided. Others 

 report finding dead chickadees, myrtle warblers, juncos, 

 song sparrows and goldfinches. 



The crows suffered least, for, with their usual sagacity, 

 they left the colder and more snowbound regions of the 

 State for the southern shores of New England. In some 

 colder sections of the State people report seeing no crows 

 after December. A few crows remained al)out Wareham 

 during the winter, i)robably attracted by food that was put 



