580 AVES — PIGEON. 



forests directly on the east of me. Yet not a single bird would ahght ; for 

 not a nut or acorn was that year to be seen in the neighborhood. They 

 consequently flew so high, that different trials to reach them with a capital 

 rifle proved ineffectual, and not even the report disturbed them in the least. 

 But I cannot describe how beautiful their aerial evolutions were, if a black 

 hawk appeared in their rear. At once, like a torrent, and with a thunder- 

 like noise, they formed themselves into almost a solid compact mass, press- 

 ing each on each towards the centre ; and when, in such solid bodies, they 

 zigzagged to escape the murderous falcon, now down close over the earth 

 sweeping with inconceivable velocity, then ascending perpendicularly, like a 

 vast monument ; and, when high, were seen wheeling and twisting within 

 their continued lines, resembling the coils of a gigantic serpent. 



" Before sunset I reached Louisville, distant from Hardenburgh fifty-five 

 miles, where the pigeons were still passing, and this continued for three 

 days in succession. 



" The people were indeed all up in arms, and shouting on all sides at the 

 passing flocks. The banks of the river were crowned with men and chil- 

 dren, for here the pigeons flew rather low as they passed the Ohio. This 

 gave a fair opportunity to destroy them in great numbers. For a week or 

 more, the population spoke of nothing but pigeons, and fed on no other flesh 

 but that of pigeons. The whole atmosphere during this time was strongly 

 impregnated with the smell appertaining to their species. 



"It is extremely curious to see flocks after flocks follow exactly the very 

 evolutions performed by a preceding one, when they arrive at the place 

 where these manoeuvres were displayed. If a hawk, for instance, has chanc- 

 ed to charge on a portion at a certain spot, no matter what the zigzags, 

 curved lines, or undulations of lines might have been during the affray, all 

 the following birds always keep the same track; so that if the traveller hap- 

 pens to see one of those attacks, and feels a wish to have it repeated, he 

 may do so by waiting for a short time. 



" It may not, perhaps, be out of place to attempt an estimate of the num- 

 ber of pigeons contained in those mighty flocks, and the quantity of food 

 consumed by its members. The inquiry Avill show the astonishing bounty 

 of the Creator in his works, and how universally this bounty has been 

 granted to every living thing on the vast continent of America. 



" We shall take, for example, a column of one mile in breadth, which is far 

 below the average size, and suppose it passing over us without interruption 

 fur three hours, at the rate mentioned above, of one mile per minute. This 

 will give us a parallelogram of one hundred and eighty miles by one, covering 

 one hundred and eighty square miles, and allowing two pigeons to the square 

 yard, we have one billion one hundred and fifteen million one hundred and 

 thirty-six thousand pigeons in one flock; and as every pigeon consumes fully 

 half a pint of food per day, the quantity must be eight million seven hundred 

 and twelve thousand bushels per day, which is required to feed such a flock. 



