The Audubon Societies 



133 



went out on a schooner loaded with bird 

 food. This was scattered about and was 

 greedily consumed by the birds. The 

 strange relief expedition found many 

 Ducks that had perished." 



From Massachusetts came many alarm- 

 ing reports. A dispatch from Martha's 

 Vineyard said: "Whole flocks of game- 

 birds are dying of starvation about the 

 island. The cold wave, the coldest experi- 

 enced here in years, by freezing over the 

 feeding-grounds of the birds for such an 

 extended period, has deprived them of 

 food. The harbor of Edgartown is covered 

 with three feet of solid ice, and hundreds 

 of birds are dying there every day. It is 

 possible to walk in among a flock of Wild 

 Black Ducks on the ice without disturbing 

 them in the least, an almost unheard of 

 proceeding." 



A message from Kansas states: "Far- 

 mers say that Quail will be scarce this 

 year. They report that thousands of 

 Quail froze during the recent storm, and 

 that hundreds of dead birds may be found 

 scattered over fields. They died from 

 starvation, being unable to reach food 

 covered by the snow. Traveling men who 

 have made trips into the Wichita territory 

 since the storm say that a farmer throwing 

 grain to Quail on his farm, as well as to his 

 poultry, was not an uncommon sight." 



In the Charleston (S. C.) News and 

 Courier for January 19, appeared the 

 following news item from Florence, South 

 Carolina: "As a result of the big snow- 

 storm and freeze, the birds had a tough 

 time. Doves that were not frozen to 

 death outright were slaughtered by pot- 

 hunters, for they were to be found huddled 

 around corn-shocks, fodder-stacks, and 

 unused buildings in the fields, endeavoring 

 to keep from freezing, and hunting food." 



When, on the afternoon of January 12, 

 it became apparent that there must exist 

 much suffering among the birds because 

 of the lack of food, telegrams were sent 

 from this office to many Audubon workers 

 throughout the territory, from Virginia 

 j on the south to Illinois on the west, asking 

 them to call upon the public to feed the 

 birds. An article bearing on the subject 



was also mailed to one hundred and twenty 

 daily newspapers throughout the danger 

 zone. 



The response by the general public was 

 instant, and in many cases most effective, 

 and the Audubon workers took hold of 

 the matter with zeal. As a single example, 

 we may mention that Mr. M. D. Hart, 

 Treasurer of the Virginia State Audubon 

 Society, secured permission from the 

 authorities of the railroads running into 

 Richmond to haul grain, free of charge, 

 and to have their section hands distribute 

 it along the railroad tracks. Within 

 forty-eight hours, over two hundred 

 bushels of food was distributed in this 

 way from Richmond. The Game Com- 

 missioners of several states instructed the 

 Wardens to systematically feed the birds. 



January 17, the New York Evening 

 Mail published a cartoon, which we here 

 reproduce, entitled "Charity to Outdoor 

 Poor." Other newspapers printed cartoons 

 of a similar character, and the editors 

 have told us that these were inspired by 

 the call issued by the Audubon Societies. 

 — T. G. P. 



Bird Famine Relief Work 



In connection with the present wide- 

 spread interest in the feeding of wild birds, 

 the following letter from Mr. H. W. Hen- 

 shaw. Chief of the Bureau of Biological 

 Survey, United States Department of 

 Agriculture, will, we feel sure, be of interest 

 to the readers of Bird-Lore: 



"Every few years we have a winter, with 

 longer or shorter periods of unusually 

 severe weather, like that of the first six 

 weeks of 1912, when birds perish in large 

 numbers unless succor be given tht;m. At 

 such times sporadic attempts are made to 

 counteract the disastrous climatic con- 

 dition by furnishing food to the starving 

 birds, — -starving because snow and ice 

 have covered their natural food-supply. 

 These efforts are mainly directed toward 

 the preservation of Quail, though many 

 dwellers in suburban or rural precincts 

 scatter seeds of various kinds, chopped 

 nuts, fruits, and table scraps, and fasten 



