Eifrig, on Effects of a Mild Winter 
91 
ately cold period, 12th to 17th inclusive, every day was above 
the seasonable average in temperature, the excess ranging from 
15° to 26° in nine days. The total precipitation, amounting to 
0.97 inch was less than one-half, and the total snowfall, 3.2 
inches, less than one-third of the normal. There was an un- 
usually large amount of sunshine, 100 per cent of the possible 
amount being recorded on seven days.’’ In February mild, dry 
weather prevailed during most of the month. The mean tempera- 
ture, 33.4°, was 8° above normal, and this was the sixth suc- 
cessive month with a mean temperature abnormally high. The 
absolute maximum of 66° on the 15th exceeds all previous 
February records. The small snowfall of the entire winter to 
February 28th, 9.4 inches, likewise breaks all previous rec- 
ords.” March, 1921, with a mean of 45.8°, exceeded all previ- 
ous records with the single exception of 1910, while the maxi- 
mum of 68° on the 5th is the highest ever recorded at Chicago 
so early in the season. Vegetation made rapid advancement 
until the 28th, when growth was checked by a freeze which in- 
jured tender plants.” ‘‘April is the eighth consecutive month 
with abnormally high temperatures. However, unseasonably 
low temperatures prevailed on the 10th - 11th and 16th - 17th, 
with frosts and freezes, causing much damage to fruit and 
tender plants.” Finally May : “As a whole May, 1921, was 
warm and dry. However, rather cool weather prevailed at the 
beginning and the middle of the month, with light frost on the 
16th, followed by unseasonably high temperatures during the 
remainder of the month. The highest temperatures of record for 
so early in the season were registered on the 23rd and 24th. 
This is the ninth consecutive month with high mean tempera- 
ture, the average daily excess from September 1, 1920, to May 
31, 1921, being 6.6°. The total precipitation, 0.80 inch, was the 
least on record for May at Chicago.” Accordingly, fall, winter, 
and spring were abnormally mild or warm, dry and lacking in 
the usual storms or gales which have earned for Chicago its 
well-known sobriquet “windy city.” There was also more than 
the usual sunshine, but all this was interfered with in April and 
May by alternate unseasonably cool or cold and warm or hot 
weather, which then retarded the migration of some species, or 
otherwise interfered with it, broke it up more or less. 
As a consequence of all this, one would expect large numbers 
of our hardy summer residents, such as Kobin, Flicker, Killdeer, 
