THE ZOOLOGIST 



No. 789.— March. 1907. 



BIRDS AND THE GREAT SNOW. 

 By Arthur H. Patterson. 



The great snowstorm which characterized the close of 1906 

 and the early days of 1907, and its effects on bird-life, will long 

 remain fresh in my memory. I am amused sometimes by the 

 prognostications of those who prophesy hard winters because of 

 an abundance of hawthorn-berries, and Gulls flying inland, and 

 the like ; it seems to me natural that hawthorns, like apple-trees, 

 should, after a year's rest and unfruitfulness, bear well the 

 following season, and that the birds should make short journeys 

 for a change of food, or to avoid a breeze that might prove incon- 

 venient. From many years' observations in the open, at the 

 best I can foresee but a few days' probabilities ahead ; but from 

 some — let me call it intuitive — instinct I am led occasionally to 

 look for a sharp winter. I cannot explain this, nor have I tried 

 to ; and by reference to my note-books I find that hard winters do 

 not trouble us much oftener than once in nine years on the aver- 

 age. And I have many times observed that unless we get heavy 

 snows before the second or third week in December, we do not 

 often get any real winter to worry over, and wildfowlers ma3 r 

 expect a poor shooting season, here, for the remainder of the 

 time. I made a few observations during the stress of the severe 

 weather, and will give them as I have dated them. 



December 31st, 1906. — After a long spell of "open " winters, 

 something akin to the "old fashioned 'uns " obtained during the 

 Zool. 4th ser. vol. XL, March, 1907. H 



