in South Carolina 21 



covered with snow for many hours, and the birds cannot . 

 find food, they suffer severely, and sometimes great mor- 

 tahty results, either from actual starvation or from their 

 inability, because of their weakened condition, to escape 

 their enemies. 



Mr. B. D. Dargan, Florence, writes: "During every 

 snow there are hundreds of small birds such as Sparrows, 

 Cardinals, Thrushes, etc. , caught by negroes under dead- 

 falls." Mr. Keith Dargan, Darlington, reports that on his 

 plantation during a sleet or snow storm, the negroes are 

 taught not to kill the birds, but to feed them. Mr. West 

 Harris, Spartanburg, says: "The hard rains and wind 

 storms that generally come about the time the young birds 

 are wanting to try their wings, do great damage to all our 

 birds from the Wild Turkey to Hummingbird. ' ' 



Concerning Bob whites, Mr. Orville Calhoun, Abbeville, 

 writes: "When an extremely wet season comes, they sud- 

 denly decrease in numbers, and the next year they do not 

 recover their original numbers, tho the season is good." 

 Doubtless, this is due to the fact that the causes of 

 decrease of bird life have operated to decrease the breed- 

 ing stock in the interval between the bad and good breeding 

 seasons. If after a decrease of this kind the remaining 

 birds are closely shot by gunners, as is usually the case, it 

 will be impossible for them to recover their former abun- 

 dance. 



Dr. Hornady cites instances of Quail shooters who de- 

 plore the killing of Quail by the severities of the weather, 

 but who will not stop Quail shooting on account of it.-' Mr. 

 Wayne records a notable destruction of Woodcock near the 

 coast: "The Woodcock arrived in countless thousands. . . . 

 They were everywhere and completely bewildered. Tens 

 of thousands were killed by would-be sportsmen, and 

 thousands were frozen to death. The great majority were 

 so much emaciated that they were practically fearless 

 and of course were unable to withstand the cold. One man 

 killed two hundred pairs in a few hours. . . . It will 



IHornady, W. T., Our Vanishing Wild Life, p. 89. 



