THE ABSENCE OF THE BIRDS.

Evening Star, Issue 12061, 4 March 1907, Page 2

THE ABSENCE OF THE BIRDS.

Sir, —That rats desert a sinking ship is proverbial. Animal and bird life is full of instinct. This migration may be for food only, a scarcity produced by drought; but tbo migration or desertion is a solid fact. All through the spring my early waking hours wiro cheered by the merry song' of the birds—just before dawn a chatter of th« sparrows and linnets,' mixed with the joyous notes of the throstle and blackbird, followed simultaneously by the crow of the challenging his fellows to mortal combat! As the tumult died away, when they were hastening off to find breakfast, afar in the sky could be heard the lark’s “ sweet singing to his mate.” Now, however, there is only a feeble chirp from the few remaining sparrows. The throstle and blackbird are silent, sad even the rooster’s challenge seems flat. Certainly it is the moulting season, when birds arc devoid of animation and are suffering a re. oovery., Can\ there bo any other reason tb»n drought? The gardens are fnfTof food, and of grubs, dear to birds. Granted that fuchsia berries are a greater attraction, yet fuchsia berries are Tery little mere abasdsai now than in past years. Can there havg been %n epidemic among the birds? No one ever yet saw a dead bird lying about,'unless poisoned or shot Yet these birds hate gene—evei the starting is absent Whai do the farmers say ? Shooting and ‘ poisoning are'not done ih'the City aim suburbs. " Is impossible that this migration of birds prooccurs an epidasas. Wa ua often toht that fever cpi-

demies occur in autumn, npc| are forcatiadpijp(J . by summer diarrhoea in excess—a conwtiQfl prevalent just now. It will bo worth tfie , student of Nature’s while to wateh the upshot; and as an outsider I. might advjse filtering water, watch milk supply, andolwu drains.—l am, etc.. Verb- {Up. : March 2. I ( ; ' ( , 1 < j 1