WOODCOCK 21 
can scarcely be conceived. To say that fox sparrows 
and snow birds were frozen to death by the millions 
is not an exaggerated statement, but a conservative 
one. There was a tremendous migration of fox spar- 
rows on Monday, February 13, following the coast 
line of the mainland. They apparently came from 
the northeast in a southwesterly direction. Thou- 
sands tarried in my yard all day long and swarmed 
on the piazza, fowl-yard and other places that would 
afford protection. They would scratch away the snow 
in order to find a bare place, singing—that is, the 
stronger birds—the whole time, while their compan- 
ions were freezing by the hundreds. While they were 
numbed by the intense cold, boat-tailed grackles and 
red-winged blackbirds would peck them at the base 
of the skull, killing them and eating them. The 
stronger fox sparrows would also eat their dead com- 
panions. It was a most pathetic sight. I caught quan- 
tities of fox sparrows, grass finches, snow birds and 
chipping sparrows and put them into a large cage, 
which I brought into the house and placed before a 
large fire, with the hope of saving them from destruc- 
tion; but, despite this, they all died. Very few of these 
birds were emaciated, and the great majority were 
fat. 
“The woodcock arrived in countless thousands. 
Prior to their arrival I had seen but two birds the 
entire winter. They were everywhere and were com- 
pletely bewildered. Tens of thousands were killed by 
would-be sportsmen, and thousands were frozen to 
