The Clio messenger. (Clio, Mich.) 1907-current, 1913-10-31
DRAWN OVER FALLS
Great Sacrifice of Animal Life In
Niagara Cataract.
Birds Especially Are Victims, While
Geese, Ducks and Squirrels, Foxes
and Bears Also Meet Death In
the seethlng Flood.

swan trap, as appropriately uuDDeu
at present, deservedly claims con-
siderable attention from the local
ornithologists of that region, and their
reports have always been read with
decided avidity In pathological cir
Giles. These observers, as do others
more remote, rue the fact Of this al
most yearly sacrifice, yet they feel
their helplessness. With many birds
and animals, 1t has been an ever re-
curing phenomenon which has been
noted more or less irregularly In the
historical literature of this country.
These dozens or more buried notes
from sources not always easily acces-
sible to all biologists may be Of
enough pertinent historical interest
to warrant their collection In one
article, Albert Hazen Wright says In
Forest and Stream.
The first and most extended account
Is from q letter by Peter Kahn, who
wrote September Q, 1850. that several
of the French gentlemen told me that
when birds come flying into this fog
or smoak of the fall, they fall down
and perish in the water; either be-
cause their wings become wet, or
that the noise of the fall astonishes
them, and they know not where to
90 In the dark: but others were Of
opinion. that seldom or never any bird
perishes there In that manner; be-
cause. as they all agree. among the
abundance Of birds found dead below
the falls. there are no other sorts than
such as live and swim frequently In
the water; as swans. geese. ducks,
water hens. teal and the like.
And very often great flocks OF them
are seen going to destruction In this
manner; they swim In the river above
the fall. and SO are carried down lower
and lower by the water, and as water
fowl commonly delight In being car
ried with the stream. 80 here they
indulge themselves in enjoying this
pleasure so long. till the swiftness Of
the water becomes SO great that It Is
no longer possible for them to rise.
but they are driven down the preci-
pice and perish. They are observed
when they draw nigh the fall to en-
deavor with all their might to take
wing and leave the water, but they
cannot. In the months Of September
and October such abundant quantities
Of dead water fowl are found every
morning below the fall. on the shore.
that the garrison Of the fort for long
time live chiefly upon them; besides
the fowl they find also several sorts
Of dead fish, also deer. bears and other
animals which have tried to cross the
water above the fall; the larger ami
amls are generally found broken to
pieces. l was told at Oswego
that in October or whereabouts such
plenty Of feathers are to be found here
below the falls, that a man in a days
time can gather enough of them for
several beds, which feathers they said
came of the birds killed at this fall.
l asked the French II this was true.
They told me they had never seen
such thing; but that If the feathers
were picked off the dead birds. there
might be such quantity"
Toward the close OF the eighteenth
century. Isaac Weld, Jr., made the
following observations: Having
reached the margin of the river, we
proceeded toward the great fall, along
the strand, which for a considerable
part Of the way thither consists of
horizontal beds Of limestone rock, COW
cred with gravel. except. indeed.
where great piles of stones have fallen
from the sides Of the cliff. These
horizontal beds Of rock, In some
places extend very far into the river.
forming points which break the force
of the current, and occasion strong
eddies along particular parts Of the
shore. Here great numbers of the
bodies of fishes. squirrels. foxes and
various other animals, that, unable to
stem the current Of the river above
the falls, have been carried down
them and consequently killed, are
washed up. The shore Is likewise
found strewed with trees, and large
pieces Of timber, that have been
swept away from the sawmills above
the falls and carried down the preci-
pice. The timber Is generally terribly
and the carcasses Of all
the large animals, particularly Of large
fishes. are found very much bruised.
A dreadful stencil arises from the
quantity of putrid matter lying on the
shore, and nuinbreless birds of prey,
attracted by 1t, are always seen hover
ing about the places.
These wild bears" might have been
settlers swine run wild,
a fact of which Dewitt Clinton did
not apparently take cognizance when
he penned the following remarks:
This island (Goat) was formerly the
place where eagles erected their
aeries, as well on account of its seclu-
sion, az its propinQuity to the car.
casses below the falls. Some years
ago large deer was seen for two or
three weeks wading a short distance
into the rapids from this island, and
He had been drifted down
from above, and not knowing the safe
a. ~