134 BIRD FRIENDS 



taken by a snowstorm, and, becoming confused by 

 the darkness and snow, some were attracted by the 

 lights of the towns, where they dashed themselves 

 to the ground and against the buildings and per- 

 ished in enormous numbers. Many others, laden 

 with the heavy, wet snow, were evidently unable to 

 continue their flight and fell to the earth, where 

 they were stunned or killed. The next morning the 

 ground was strewn with dead birds. On two lakes 

 of an area of about two square miles, it was esti- 

 mated that a million birds had perished. The 

 total area in which this tragedy occurred was about 

 fifteen hundred square miles. If in two square 

 miles a million birds perished,, it is difficult to 

 imagine what the destruction must have been 

 throughout the whole area. 



Unseasonable storms, especially cold rains in 

 the spring, destroy a great many birds. The early 

 migrants are the birds most apt to be affected by 

 these storms. 



During the nesting-period, prolonged seasons of 

 cold, rainy weather may render it difficult for the 

 birds to find food either for themselves or their 

 young, and the young may be chilled in the nest. 

 In 1903 the numbers of martins were reduced very 

 noticeably by this means in some sections of the 

 country. In portions of New England they were 

 almost wiped out. 



