382 GAME BIRDS, WILD-FOWL AND SHORE BIRDS. 



Such a flight of Goshawks is very unusual in this region; 

 and, so far as I can learn, this is the greatest flight of these 

 birds on record. 



Following this disaster to the Grouse, came a very cold, 

 backward spring, with cold rains and late frosts. The weather 

 conditions in New England in April were more like those that 

 usually prevail in March. May was very cold and backward, 

 with snow in the country about Boston on the 11th. New 

 York had the coldest April since the climatological service was 

 established; in New England and in Pennsylvania the average 

 April temperature was the lowest for eighteen years; in New 

 Jersey it was the lowest for thirty-one years, and in Michigan 

 it was the lowest since 1874. Exceptionally cool weather in 

 May was followed by unseasonable weather during the first 

 half of June, with killing frosts in many localities. 



All poultrymen know that a hard winter with much snow, 

 so that fowls cannot get the usual amount of exercise, followed 

 by a cold backward spring, with its lack of insect life and green 

 food, will render the stock less vigorous. There will be fewer 

 fertile eggs and more weak chickens than after a mild winter; 

 and many chickens will be too weak to withstand such ad- 

 verse conditions. 



In the spring of 1907 Grouse were in a similar condition. 

 Exhausted by the hard winter, they found the season late and 

 cold, and much of their usual insect and vegetable food want- 

 ing. If the females left their nests long enough to get a liberal 

 supply of food the eggs probably were chilled. If they remained 

 constantly on the nests they died from exhaustion, starvation 

 and cold or disease, as sitting hens often do. Very many 

 deserted nests were found with the eggs unhatched, — some 

 addled, others frozen, — and some female birds were found 

 dead on their nests. In many cases some of the eggs hatched; 

 but the young disappeared later.^ Probably many of these 

 birds were weak when hatched, and like feeble chickens they 

 soon succumbed to wet, cold, disease or the attacks of insects. 

 Wood ticks were noted as prevalent in many localities. These 



1 In Rhode Island many broods were late in hatching, and the young had fine weather during 

 the latter part of June; but most of them never reached maturity. 



