Birds Suffering from Cold

Abstract

THE unusually severe weather (5°–12° Réaumur) of these last twelve days struck heavily on the swallows of our country. They have been found dead by hundreds. The distress of the poor animals must have been extreme. Suffering from hunger and cold, they pressed against the windows, and being brought in suffered to be petted and fed, but died from exhaustion. In Kopidlno about 300 took shelter under a balcony, and the cold growing more and more intense towards night, they clustered on each other like bees until morning, when thirty were found dead. I have been walking this afternoon in the suburbs of Prague, where a fortnight ago I have seen swallows skipping on the river and hunting in gardens, but although the weather was now clear and warm, I could not see a single one. Tidings of suffering swallows come from the country, where people have been kind to them, feeding them on ants' eggs and flies, but they would not eat, and died. In some nests the young ones were found starved alone, in others their mothers were with them.