ORNITHOLOGY 



3i 



The Last of the Passenger Pigeons? 



Are we "in at the death" of the finest 

 race of pigeons the world has pro- 

 duced? It begins seriously to look that 

 way. In response to the long list of 

 liberal rewards last year for reports 

 of undisturbed nests of the passenger 

 pigeons, several alleged "reports" were 

 made, but all have been oroved in er- 

 ror. So far as is known from reliable 

 authorities, the wild pigeons are extinct 

 except a female, nineteen years old in 

 the possession of the Cincinnati Zoo- 

 logical Society. 



The investigation will be continued 

 till October 31, 191 1, as per following 

 bulletin. Note carefully the conditions. 

 Don't make erroneous reports, nor 

 those not within the conditions. 



* $ jfc * * =K 



Passenger Pigeon Investigation. 



LIST OF REWARDS WITH CONDITIONS GOV- 

 ERNING THEM. 



One Thousand Dollars ($1000) Reward 

 For first information, exclusive and 

 confidential, of the location of a nesting 

 pair or colony of passenger pigeons, 

 anywhere in North America ; when 

 properly confirmed and if found by 

 confirming party with narent birds and 

 eggs or young UNDISTURBED: 

 Colonel Anthony R. Kuser will 



pay a reward of $300 



John E. Thayer will pay a reward 



of $700 



For first nesting discovered thereaf- 

 ter in the following States will be paid 

 by : 



John Burroughs, New York $100 



A. B. F. Kinney, Massachusetts. . . 100 

 Anonymous, Massachusetts, for 



2nd find 100 



Allan B. Miller, for 1st nesting 



found in Worcester Co., Mass. 20 



Edward Avis, Connecticut 100 



Harry S. Hathaway, Rhode Island. 100 



Worthington Society, New Jersey. 100 

 John Dryden Kuser, for 2nd nest- 

 ing found in New Jersey. ... 10 

 Henry W. Shoemaker, Penna. $200 



(adds $25, if nest is protected). 225 



W. B. Mershon, Michigan 100 



R. W. Mathews, Minnesota 100 



Ruthven Deane, Illinois 50 



John E. Thayer, Me., N. H., Vt, 



Ont., Wis., $100 each 500 



John Lewis Childs, for first three 

 nestings not entitled to any of 

 the above rewards, $200 each. 600 

 The purpose of these offers is to se- 

 cure an intelligent search of the Amer- 

 ican continent for breeding pigeons in 

 the hope that, if found, the species may 

 be saved from extermination. 



All above rewards are offered solely 

 and only for information of location of 

 undisturbed nestings. We do not de- 

 sire possession of any birds, alive or 

 dead, but are working solely to save 

 the free, wild pigeon. 



To insure intelligence and good faith 

 informants of nestings are advised to 

 enclose or agree to forfeit at least $5 

 in case they have failed to identify the 

 birds correctly. This is only fair, since 

 the amount may cover but a small part 

 of the costs occasioned by a false re- 

 port. The money will be immediately 

 returned, if the birds are found to be 

 passenger pigeons (Betopistes niigra- 

 torius). In the case of nesting pigeons, 

 there can be no excuse for sending in 

 false reports. Disregard all nests on 

 the ground. The wild pigeon always 

 nests in trees, generally 10 feet or more 

 from the ground. 



Priority of claim will be decided by 

 time of receipt at post or telegraph 

 office. Rewards will be equally divid- 

 ed, if two or more letters or messages 

 bear record of same date and hour. All 

 nestings within one mile of one another 

 will be counted as one colony. 



