224 The Ottawa Naturalist. [March 



that he can be guided in making his selections by observing 

 the character of the dent of the kernel. 



An examination of the plots just referred to showed that 

 where the average size of the ear did not exceed 9 

 inches in length by 7 inches in circumference the larg- 

 est proportion of good mature ears were found, and 

 therefore the largest yield was realized. This proves the import- 

 ance of selecting medium sized ears of good type which will 

 thoroughly mature before frost. In ordinary fields of corn it is 

 very common to find a mixture of many different types, some 

 of which are deep kernelled while others are shallower. In such 

 cases there is a very conspicuous lack in the uniformity of ma- 

 turity of the crop, and as a consequence its value is greatly 

 decreased not only for feeding purposes but more especially for 

 seed. A sufficient number of cases have been given to indicate 

 that the correlation of different characters in plants is not only of 

 scientific interest but is of considerable practical value in reveal- 

 ing to the breeder certain hidden qualities. Care should be 

 taken, however, to avoid concluding too hastily that any two 

 characters are correlated sufficiently to warrant a selection 

 being made because of its existence. On the other hand, the 

 general ratio in which each is found in the general population 

 should decide the issue. 



THE PASSEN.GER PIGEON. 



By W. Lochhead. 



Not many years ago the passenger pigeon was a very 

 common bird, and great flocks, comprising hundreds of thous- 

 ands, were often observed during their periods of flight. Its 

 range extended along eastern North America, as far west as the 

 Mississippi valley and northward to Hudson Bay. It nested in the 

 northern portions of its range. Now, however, it is so rare that 

 there are doubts as to its very existence in America. 



The cause of the disappearance of such useful, beautiful, 

 tender-voiced birds in the course of a single generation is not 

 far to seek. They were thoughtlessly slaughtered by the 

 thousands, in order to provide sport and food for a few days. 

 It is stated by a trustworthy eye-witness that "people would 

 come from all parts of the country with wagons, axes, beds and 

 cooking utensils, camping on the ground with their families for 

 days, Vv'here they could plunder the nests of the roosts, of the 

 vast army of passenger pigeons." Accordingly, the passenger 

 pigeon has gone the way of the buffalo which existed once in 

 countless numbers on the prairies of the West awful examples 



