23 [ Vol. xxxviil. 
Out of 64 species enumerated I find 46 show a decrease. 
The Carrion Crow, Kestrel, and Sparrow Hawk, have 
certainly increased owing to the fact that many estates 
have been without keepers during the war, a distinct gain 
to ornithology. 
Many of my fruit-growing friends report an increase of 
birds during the ripening of fruit, which must be attributed 
to this year’s broods, though they were never present in 
sufficient numbers to be troublesome and the usual methods 
of destroying did not become necessary. 
Quite casual observers have been struck by the scarcity 
of birds. My old and valued friend and one of our best 
all round county naturalists, Mr. C. F. Stedman, of Ashford, 
Kent, cousiders the Blackbird, Thrush, Greenfinch, and 
Linnet have been reduced by .50 per cent. 
I have not thought it necessary to go into meteorological 
figures, because I am of the opinion that it was not so much 
the severity of the weather but the prolongation of the 
winter which proved so fatal. I also think that most birds 
met their death by starvation judging from the condition 
of those I examined, and large numbers, owing to their 
weak condition, must have fallen an easy prey to vermin. 
Nature has accomplished with a single stroke the killing 
of many thousands of our valuable, interesting, and rare 
species, and it will take many years to repair that loss. 
Human agency could never have accomplished in tlhe time 
such almost irreparable destruction. 
We often read in ornithological works that such and such 
a species has been exterminated by collectors, but I hope in 
future those arm-chair naturalists who are mainly responsible 
for these absurd accusations, will remember that birds have 
many natural enemies, one of which has been the severe 
winter of 1916-1917. 
My special thanks are due to Mr. G. C. Lambert for a 
carefully drawn-up report, also to Messrs. C. F. Stedman, 
Reginald Ware, H. Rh. Tutt, and others, not forgetting my 
friends in the fruit-growing industry who are keen observers. 
