( 26 ) 
THE SEVERE WINTER OF 1916-17 AND ITS 
EFFECT ON BIRDS IN THE SOUTH OF IRELAND: 
BY 
C. J. CARROLL. 
In the south of Ireland, hard relentless frosts and unprece- 
dented snowstorms began in November, 1916, and lasted 
—with interruptions—until the middle of April, 1917, 
causing the destruction of birds in incredible numbers. 
A continuous three weeks’ frost was followed early in February 
by heavy snow, which drifted to a depth of over ten feet, 
rendering many roads quite impassable. 
Birds were then dying everywhere, and a Brambling, one 
of the wildest of small: birds, came several times beneath 
the window to feed with other pensioners. All species 
were very restless, ever on the move searching for unfrozen 
ground. Black-headed Gulls swung backwards and forwards 
in front of the windows to fetch up eventually beside the 
food which my wife spread daily near the house, while Curlews 
forced from the marshes became comparatively tame, and 
wandered through the open fields in little bands. White- 
fronted Geese were seen in unexpected places, and Snipe 
from all parts congregated on the river banks. Nevertheless, 
they quickly became mere atoms of fluffy skin and bone, 
and died in quantities. Numerous Woodcocks came down 
from the mountains to delve about in mossy hollows and under 
the shelter of thorn bushes. Unlike the Snipe they remained 
rather plump and well conditioned throughout, though 
what they found to eat goodness only knows. 
The Thrush family fared badly, but Fieldfares less so 
than the other members. Redwings, always the first to 
collapse in hard weather, suffered dreadfully and were 
strewn around everywhere dead. For warmth at night, 
they stuffed themselves into every available hole, and when 
I was sawing timber I found their frozen remains tightly 
wedged into narrow cracks. Soon after that they all dis- 
appeared and I have not since seen any Redwings. Here, 
in the south, Blackbirds and Song-Thrushes were seriously 
thinned out, but in co. Mayo Mr. Ruttledge finds the former 
in their usual numbers now, while Song-Thrushes have been 
almost exterminated there, as they have been in co. Dublin, 
according to Canon Benson. Mistle- Thrushes quickly 
succumbed, and those left have been singularly silent. For 
a few weeks Fieldfares entirely disappeared, but in spring 
