SEASONAL LIFE 87 



stress by superior cunning or intelligence ; or by sensibly re- 

 ducing the number of a species which in other ways affect the 

 balance of nature. 



A few illustrations relative to this aspect of the effect of 

 natural conditions will contribute more towards indicating what 

 is meant by the influence of climate and weather than a long 

 dissertation. 



After great storms along our coasts great numbers, some- 

 times thousands, of Razor-bills, Puffins, Guillemots and Little 

 Auks are picked up along the shore, or are found floating at 

 sea. These victims succumbed either to the buffeting of the 

 wind and waves when fishing, or to their inability to procure 

 any food at all. Only the very strongest birds survive such 

 visitations ; while young birds of the year are especially notice- 

 able among these dead. 



During the winter months great numbers of Starlings cross 

 over from Great Britain into Ireland, and should severe 

 weather — frost and snow — set in, these numbers are enor- 

 mously increased. As the cold wave moves westwards the 

 birds flee before it. " All day long," remarks Mr. Ussher in 

 his Birds of Ireland, " the race for life has been watched 

 streaming towards Kerry, whose peninsulas and islands enjoy 

 that freedom from frost which makes them the last resort of 

 the refugees. After the snowstorm of February, 1895, the 

 Rev. W. S. Green, on visiting the cliffs of Moher, in Clare, 

 found cartloads of dead Starlings, chiefly on the landward side 

 of the fence that ran along the top of the cliff . . . but the 

 strangest observations made at this, the most western island 

 of Donegal, and at Eagle Island and Blackrock, west of Mayo, 

 are of flocks flying west, as though to perish in the Atlantic." 



Periods of drought are no less disastrous ; and the same is 

 true of volcanic eruptions, though these last are happily ex- 

 tremely rare. Nevertheless, within the last few years several 

 species of birds are known to have been exterminated from 

 this cause only. Thus, the eruption of Mount Pelee on Mar- 

 tinique and La Soufriere on St. Vincent have exterminated the 

 Thrushes (Myadestes sibilans) of St. Vincent, Myadestes geni- 

 barbis of Martinique, Cinclocerthia grutturalis and Rhampkocin- 

 clus brachyurus of Martinique, as well as the magnificent 

 Parrot (Chrysutis guildingi) of St. Vincent. 



