502 Effects of recent Winter Storms. By Eobt. Gray. 



Eailways was more or less interrupted. In tlie northern coun- 

 ties, indeed, trains were completely buried, and many cattle 

 perished in the trucks. Any one who read the newspapers of the 

 day must remember the hardships endured by travellers in these 

 trains, the disastrous shipwrecks that occurred a day or two 

 afterwards, and the tremendous floods which followed the melting 

 of the snow. In short the incidents connected with this particu- 

 lar storm will not soon be forgotten. 



In connection with this subject I may, without going into fur- 

 ther details, summarize the effects of a winter which has probably 

 no parallel in the experience of any one now hearing me : — 



(I). It caused most of the smaller birds to gather into flocks 

 and flit restlessly from place to place in search of food and 

 shelter, and this partial migration no doubt was the means of 

 preventing their destruction. 



(II). It produced an unusual number of cases of partial and 

 complete albinism. I do not remember a season in which so 

 many such instances have come under my observation. 



(III). Numerous and wide spread instances of death by frost 

 and starvation occurred, but the results from this point of view 

 are comparatively insignificant when compared with the destruc- 

 tion caused by birds having been blown out to sea. Hundreds 

 of thousands must have been lost in this way. 



(IV). Birds of Prey, as a rule, were quite uninjured — their 

 well-known powers of flight, and the comparatively easy capture 

 of half-starved birds having saved them at least from starvation. 

 Wild quadrupeds on the other hand— the Carnivora especially — 

 were sorely beset by the storms. 



(Y). Hares and rabbits were driven to commit extraordinary 

 havoc among the trees, even of considerable dimensions, the bark 

 having been entirely gnawed off for a space of 18 inches, and in 

 some cases to a depth of 4-lOths of an inch. I examined many 

 large trees of 30 years growth in Perthshire, which had been in 

 this way totally ruined. In Lanarkshire, rabbits were observed 

 climbing on the branches of trees three or four feet from the 

 ground, and devouring the bark. The proprietor of an estate 

 near Lesmahagow informs me that he estimates the damage done 

 by rabbits to his woods at many hundreds of pounds. 



(YI). Alpine hares deserted their usual haunts, and descended 

 to the low grounds in search of food. Many were observed tra- 

 versing the streets and villages in Perthshire. 



