Doubtlessmanyweregoingaswellascoming，butthemassseemednevertogetless。Eachbirdseemedtosoundsomenoteoffearorangerorseeking，andthewhirringofwingsneverceasednorlessened。Theairwasfullofamutteredthrob。Nowindoworbarriercouldshutoutthesound，tilltheearsofanylistenerbecamedulledbytheceaselessmurmur。Somonotonousitwas，socheerless，sodisheartening，somelancholy，thatalllonged，butinvain，foranyvariety，nomatterhowterribleitmightbe。
Thesecondmorningthereportsfromallthedistrictsroundweremorealarmingthanever。Farmersbegantodreadthecomingofwinterastheysawthedwindlingofthetimelyfruitfulnessoftheearth。Andasyetitwasonlyawarningofevil，nottheevilaccomplished;thegroundbegantolookbarewheneversomepassingsoundtemporarilyfrightenedthebirds。
EdgarCaswalltorturedhisbrainforalongtimeunavailingly，tothinkofsomemeansofgettingridofwhathe，aswellashisneighbours，hadcometoregardasaplagueofbirds。Atlastherecalledacircumstancewhichpromisedasolutionofthedifficulty。
TheexperiencewasofsomeyearsagoinChina，farup—country，towardsthehead—watersoftheYang—tze—kiang，wherethesmallertributariesspreadoutinasortofnaturalirrigationschemetosupplythewildernessofpaddy—fields。Itwasatthetimeoftheripeningrice，andthemyriadsofbirdswhichcametofeedonthecomingcropwasaseriousmenace，notonlytothedistrict，buttothecountryatlarge。Thefarmers，whoweremoreorlessafflictedwiththesametroubleeveryseason，knewhowtodealwithit。Theymadeavastkite，whichtheycausedtobeflownoverthecentrespotoftheincursion。Thekitewasshapedlikeagreathawk;andthemomentitroseintotheairthebirdsbegantocowerandseekprotection——andthentodisappear。Solongasthatkitewasflyingoverheadthebirdslaylowandthecropwassaved。AccordinglyCaswallorderedhismentoconstructanimmensekite，adheringaswellastheycouldtothelinesofahawk。Thenheandhismen，withasufficiencyofcord，begantoflyithighoverhead。TheexperienceofChinawasrepeated。Themomentthekiterose，thebirdshidorsoughtshelter。Thefollowingmorning，thekitewasstillflyinghigh，nobirdwastobeseenasfarastheeyecouldreachfromCastraRegis。Buttherefollowedinturnwhatprovedevenaworseevil。Allthebirdswerecowed;theirsoundsstopped。
Neithersongnorchirpwasheard——silenceseemedtohavetakentheplaceofthenormalvoicesofbirdlife。Butthatwasnotall。Thesilencespreadtoallanimals。