Page:Bird-lore Vol 04.djvu/166

 The Effects of a Hail-storm Upon Bird Life 14.5

Not the least interesting feature was the manner and cause of death. Of course hundreds of birds lost their lives by the deadly effect of the hail direct, simply being knocked from the trees—many of which were leaﬂess in a few minutes-and literally battered to death. This was clearly shown by the finding of many birds on higher and sloping ground, where drowning would have been impossible. and on whom no injuries were discernible. Others were knocked off their roosts into the paths below— which were now great torrents of water—and carried into the lake, or left in the deposit of sand and mud covering the lower grassy parts of the park. lVIany of these birds which I examined had no manifest external injury, and I felt it was a clear case of drowning.

But the very interesting feature to me was the birds Whose bodies showed by deep gashes or penetrating wounds the bullet-like power of penetration of the hail when driven by a wind of sixty miles an hour. For instance, one bird had a penetrating wound on the right side of the back which completely entered the thorax and lacerated the thoracic viscera. I observed a number with somewhat similar injuries, and there could be no doubt but that they were all caused by the hail. Here death must have been instantaneous. The saddest evidence of the storm was found in the great number of wounded Robins I found all about me. One poor Robin—a fine big fellow—had received a crack from the winged ice that shattered a portion of the bony arch over the eye and produced complete exophthalmos (protrusion of the eye). Death seemed nigh, and to him—as well as to many others—I gave release from their suffering. I found no wounded Jays; possibly those not killed outright had greater staying power than the Robins, and escaped from the inhospitable park. According to the press, “One effect of the hail was the dispatching of English Sparrows. Thousands of the little birds lay about the ground this morning underneath where they had been roosting before stricken by the ice pellets." I am convinced this statement is an exaggeration. A great many Sparrows were killed in all those parts of the city which lay in the path of the storm, but by the very nature of their roosting habits, so familiar, they were immuned in much larger measure than other birds.

Severe hail-storms over the northwestern portions of the United States are of common occurrence, and especially over the prairie regions of North and South Dakota. Each summer areas of miles in extent are visited by such phenomena and attended with great destruction to the crops and vegetation generally. As such storms are ‘a hot-weather product,’ and occur frequently during the nesting period and soon after, I have no doubt many birds are lost each year in this manner.

Finally, is not a subject of unusual interest suggested by the incidents just recited? When we remember that millions upon millions of birds must die each year, is it not remarkable that we observe so few decrepit,