The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1881-02-10
philadelphia TimeS.l

This has been a hard winter on the birds.
Old ornithOlOgiSts think the winged dcnl-
Gems OF the air aud the feathered padders
of the streams have suffered more this sea-
son from the igOrs of cold than ever before
| in half a century. Fortunately, Nature
has kindly given them sources OF pro-
| lection besides the migratory instinct.
| Thus the cold has been less fatal than the
scarcity of food by which it was accOmpa
MED. a scarcity made all the worse by the
| long duration OF the snow and the reign OF
| ice, since the two great classes OF winter
birds belonging to this latitude find susie
nance either on the ground or by the shores
OF streams. As the abundant harvest Of
nuts from the trees last fail was construed
as a b0unliful provision for the squirrels
and other small animals OF the woods during
the impending winter OF unusual severity,
so the added plumpneSS, the accumulation
OF adpOse tissue in toe feahcred family for
warmth and to supply the wastes Of The
system was looked upon as a harUinacl
of long. continued cold. Although sud.
! den changes Of temperature make
great demands upon their yiydci;y.
the paramount question in The life Of Il
bird is The question Of food. Thousands Of
birds nave died OF starvation IN this State
since the beginning Of the year. Spared
from the slaughter OF the sportsman, gun,
some of the finest winter birds. III which
the power OF II ght is weakest and the love
Of location strong, have fallen victims be-
fore the biting blasts and long continued
SHOWS. The very conditions which kept
the 4Dortsmcn away caused their death. IN
general il nay be said that the extremity Of
The cold has driven the bulk OF the winter
birds Of this region farther South, and that
OF the Spartan bands remaining thousands
have died from want Of food. Farmers 6nd
them in every field and tGeir dOwny corp,es
are found embalmed IN the ice of almost
every stream.
PROPOSED REMEDY IN JERSEY.
In New Jersey there is Society for the
Preservation Of Game which repleni hes
the stock Of bin d. by putting out ncw ones
IN the spring, and this yeaE, owing to the
depOpulatlon Of the forest inh Ibitants bY
the frost, proposes 10 prevent the shooting
Of any bird w.Iatcyer for a couple Of sea
Soas; but here the society &hieh was IN
existence died cut for want o! support. and
the game laws a-e openly violated arouud
The suburbs OF tie city every DAY. the only
restriction being tie law which TIE fsrhers
have made to themselves Of threatening TO
shoot the shooters Ghen they irespass on
their land.
In the pine thickets OF Jersey the robins
viii sometimes be found all winter. when 4!
there are plenty OF eedif and Juniper ber-
rles TO live on, but this year there were no
ROBINS. On certain warls DAYS in February
The most OF seasons the blue birds nav be
seen and heard even in philadelphia, but
lhls nme there Is never a 6ieslcr OF ceruIean
hue. One hgdy bird there is here, bow
golden.crowned kiaget. which
las oeFo ssen tl;s season, but 1Gt often. His
cousin. the IuIg-crowned kinglet, i this
Ieaf stranger to the realm. iIis voice, so
Ike tr1gediaTs sage whisper. hesrsc and
'rs'ihg. IL unhearG. His golden.cFawned
'oyal higbnesS, shiyerins with cold. NAV
'ct he found under old bridges asd in
,rush-beaps and by the borders of streams.
me common brown cTeeper, which
nay be found, cold as IL is, in jersey or
hyWDere around, is the fellow often 10 be {
cen running over the trunks Of trees and ,
'rying into The bark with his bill. making
ul that lac Is philosophic wood.peckrr,
he sh@ ster" lawyer who assumes 10
hmsei a great legal mind. The black
'pfd ttmouse may also be found, bnt
io,nF ID rozen shroud. This is the bird
IN The Neil-known note Of " cnIc.a dc. e.u
hicb has been turned this winter as mined
farmhouse kitchen windows into a pilj.
u cry. lie Is usually found IN briar patches ,
'u ihIckels, associated with the native I
arrows, not with the pugn.cious English A
eod OF the city, which associate with 10. a
ibg' There are no iufted litmouse here V