PASSENGER PIGEON INVESTIGATION 



Clark University, Worcester, Mass., 

 April 29, 1910. 



Twelve reports of pigeon nestings have come in to date and 

 one "undisturbed" (sic(k) ) nest has been sent me by express. 

 Luckily this turned out to be mourning dove, and probably all 

 the rest so far reported are also nests of mourning doves. None 

 have been confirmed as yet, and I have received, in fact, but one 

 really business-like report; and,- while this man was awaiting to 

 get expert assurance that the birds were the true passenger pig- 

 eon, the nest and probably the birds were stolen. He writes me 

 that the branch with nest on it was cut away and that the birds 

 had disappeared. This serves to show the necessity of extreme 

 secrecy, and the reason for asking that reports be strictly "exclu- 

 sive and confidential," as specified in all my announcements. 



I wish the reports that come in in future might be more in- 

 telligent and business-like. A report should describe the birds 

 and the nest in a way that could leave no doubt that the birds 

 are properly identified (most of them do this now, to leave no 

 doubt that the nest is that of a mourning dove). All reporters, 

 should also enclose or definitely agree to forfeit the $5.00, if they 

 are mistaken in the birds. It should also be repeated and 

 strongly emphasized that all awards are offered for "UNDIS- 

 TURBED nesting PAIRS or COLONIES". No award will 

 be paid for any "undisturbed" nest unless both male and female 

 birds are found with it (they both take part in brooding). 



Professor Whitman maintains that it is absolutely sure that 

 the passenger pigeon never lays but one egg at a nesting. If 

 two eggs are found, it means that two hens have laved in the 

 same nest. The egg of the pigeon is large — i l / 2 inches in length 

 — while that of the dove is little more than one inch long. This 

 may prove a good means of distinguishing the species. 



A number of most encouraging reports are coming in of 

 pigeons seen in various parts of this country and Canada. One, 

 even, has come from Chile, South America. 



Can we "get down to business" in this matter and have a 

 "little sense"? I feel greatly obliged to the thousands of good 

 people, who, when they find a dove's nest, do not write me 

 about it. And still I would rather be bothered by a thousand 

 "idiotic" reports than miss one nest of the real passenger pigeon. 



