WOODCOCK 21 



can scarcely be conceived. To say that fox sparrows 

 and snow birds were frozen to death by the millions 

 is not an exaggerated statement, but a conservative 

 one. There was a tremendous migration of fox spar- 

 rows on Monday, February 13, following the coast 

 line of the mainland. They apparently came from 

 the northeast in a southwesterly direction. Thou- 

 sands tarried in my yard all day long and swarmed 

 on the piazza., fowl-yard and other places that would 

 afford protection. They would scratch away the snow 

 in order to find a bare place, singing that is, the 

 stronger birds the whole time, while their compan- 

 ions were freezing by the hundreds. While they were 

 numbed by the intense cold, boat-tailed grackles and 

 red-winged blackbirds would peck them at the base 

 of the skull, killing them and eating them. The 

 stronger fox sparrows would also eat their dead com- 

 panions. It was a most pathetic sight. I caught quan- 

 tities of fox sparrows, grass finches, snow birds and 

 chipping sparrows and put them into a large cage, 

 which I brought into the house and placed before a 

 large fire, with the hope of saving them from destruc- 

 tion ; but, despite this, they all died. Very few of these 

 birds were emaciated, and the great majority were 

 fat. 



"The woodcock arrived in countless thousands. 

 Prior to their arrival I had seen but two birds the 

 entire winter. They were everywhere and were com- 

 pletely bewildered. Tens of thousands were killed by 

 would-be sportsmen, and thousands were frozen to 



