June, 1918 
FOREST AND STREAM 
351 
The continuance of the cold weather retarded the 
appearance of the insects. Their eggs failed to hatch 
at the usual time, and when the migrating birds made 
their appearance their insect food was not ready for 
them. Many of them died from starvation and cold. 
Warblers, unable to find food, crowded about the 
houses, and thus to many people seemed more 
numerous than usual. Some of them were so weak 
that they were caught in the hand. Instead of seek¬ 
ing their food in the tops of the trees, as warblers 
usually do, they were forced to search for food on the 
ground, in plowed lands and about stables and houses. 
They even entered the houses through open doors and 
windows, and searched for food among the plants 
standing in the windows. Such bright colored birds 
as scarlet tanagers, red-starts, Blackburnian and mag¬ 
nolia warblers were seen—an astonishing sight- 
searching for food in the grass, and in barnyards. 
Great numbers of birds actually perished from star¬ 
vation and cold and were picked up by the children 
and brought to school. In Massachusetts birds of 
more than sixty different species were found dead, 
and among them such hardy forms as the woodcock, 
the downy woodpecker, the flicker and the crow. The 
loss of these useful birds, which is recorded by Mr. E. 
H Forbush in the Tenth Annual Report of the Massa¬ 
chusetts State Ornithologist, may well have had a serious 
influence on the crops of the country. 
Many birds, weakened by starvation, were unable to 
escape from their enemies and fell a prey to cats and 
dogs. The young of early nesting birds perished from 
cold and cold rains. 
The destruction of insect eating birds from cold and 
starvation seems to have extended over a wide area. 
It is reported from Michigan, Pennsylvania, Maine, 
New Hampshire, Indiana and many other states. 
FORECASTING THE JULY ISSUE 
HE July issue of Forest and Stream will be unusu¬ 
ally well worth looking for. The leading article will 
be a mountain climbing story by Emerson Hough, and Dr. 
John D. Quackenbos has contributed an extraordinary 
article on Pacific Salmon in Atlantic Waters which will 
interest scientists as well as sportsmen. Newton New¬ 
kirk will help to make the world an easier place to live in 
with one of his fishing experiences illustrated by himself; 
the Dry Fly series by R. L. M. (California) will be 
brought to a close and a series of articles on Fly-Tying 
by Dr. Harry Gove will begin. 
Dr. Gove is well known to the readers of Forest and 
Stream by his articles which have from time to time 
appeared in these columns. Their publication was inter¬ 
rupted by his illness, but we are glad to say he has fully 
recovered his health. Below is given an extract from a 
recent communication from him: 
“It may be of advantage to your readers to know that 
owing to the unprecedented fall of snow in the localities 
of Maine and New Brunswick, the Spring freshet will 
be extremely high, and of long continued persistence. 
Anglers who contemplate visiting these localities, where 
the above conditions will prevail, will meet with disap¬ 
pointment if they look for success at the usual period, 
the month of May. From information I have received 
from lumbermen and river drivers, who are authorities 
regarding the conditions that will prevail, I infer that the 
fishing season will open a month later than usual. During 
my enforced confinement to the house, in the most incle¬ 
ment winter known here, I tied for amusement and to 
while away the time, a number of flies illustrating what 
I have previously written in your magazine regarding 
the subject of angling, showing the superiority of the bent 
shank hook and my transparent wing. The flies are dry 
flies. I would be pleased to dispose of these to any of the 
readers of your magazine, subject to their approval, or 
otherwise.” 
Letters addressed to Dr. Gove in care of Forest and 
Stream will be promptly forwarded to him. 
Mr. Holman’s story of sheep hunting in the Ivenai will 
end in the July issue, and Mr. Larned’s true account of 
the adventures of the party lost in the Everglades will 
reach a thrilling climax. The usual departments will 
have more than their share of practical information and 
suggestions and Jule Marshall will have an article on 
canoeing that will interest all who wield the paddle. 
A SWISS NATIONAL SPORT 
T is said that the Kaiser, whose peculiar sporting pro¬ 
clivities have been commented upon in previous 
issues, was present at a shooting festival in Switzerland 
during the grand maneuvers in that country. He was 
attended by a Swiss general, a worthy son of the land of 
William Tell, to whom, as usual, he plied his questions. 
Replying to the Kaiser’s inquiry as to how many men 
Switzerland could put in the field in a week, the general 
estimated that the number would be about 500,000. The 
German Emperor then asked what they would do if he 
should come against them with a million men. The gen¬ 
eral’s reply should become historic—“In that case, your 
Majesty, we would all have to shoot twice.” 
The Swiss have always made shooting a national sport. 
The splendid marksmanship of the Swiss is a result 
and perhaps accounts for the ease with which that small 
country’s neutrality has been maintained. The Swiss 
boy is taught to shoot when he enters school at the age of 
seven. His military training is begun at this time and 
it is made a recreation and a sport as well as a duty, 
which holds his interest until past fifty years of age. 
AN IDEAL DISCIPLE OF WALTON 
NCE more the call of Spring is heeded by the 
mighty army of anglers, and recruits from the 
highest and lowest ranks of society fall in side by 
side, armed with a heterogeneous array of weapons 
from featherweight rods and dry flies to alder poles 
with a hook’n’sinker. 
One who might be termed a general in the ranks 
is Viscount Grey of Fallodon, an Englishman who is 
noted for his fondness for fishing. According to. 
London Tit-Bits, he is an ideal follower of Walton, as 
he is said to hate swank and to be the most cordial 
host that ever welcomed a guest. Formerly he in¬ 
dulged in championship form at lawn tennis; now he 
is the leading exponent of fly-fishing in England. 
THE POACHING CAT 
HE birds are not at all concerned in the remark¬ 
able slowness in building activities which is com¬ 
mented upon in other circles. All over the country 
and in every available space in the city parks they are 
carrying on as usual. They seem to realize that upon 
them and their young depend the crops of the nation 
no less than on the farmers. But just as they are 
natural enemies to destructive worms and bugs, so 
are cats enemies to the birds. The cat has really 
never been domesticated. All his predatory instincts 
lie dormant and the good-natured house pet is very 
prone to fall from grace and become a field rover. 
One cure for the evil is to watch your cat during the 
nesting season, and not neglect feeding it. If you 
erect houses on your grounds for birds to build in, 
be very careful that they are so placed that a poach¬ 
ing cat can not gain access to them. 
