hundreds of miles in search of food, it is here to-day and else- 

 where to-morrow, and no ordinary destruction can lessen them, 

 or be missed from the myriads that are yearly produced." 



This species was formerly abundant over the forest region 

 of Eastern North America, being found from the Gulf of Mexico 

 to Hudson's Bay; and by offering a plentiful supply of food, 

 which could be easily gotten from the enormous breeding colo- 

 nies, roosts and flights, they were accordingly slaughtered by 

 the millions and shipped to the big markets by the carloads. 

 Wilson 's account of the killing of these birds is interesting : 

 ''As soon as the yoimg were fully grown, and before they left 

 their nests, numerous parties of the inhabitants, from all parts 

 of the adjoining coimtry. came with wagons, axes, beds, cooking 

 utensils, many of them accompanied by the greater part of their 

 families, and encamped for several days at this immense nur- 

 sery. Several of them informed me that the noise in the woods 

 was so great as to terrify their horses, and that it was difficult 

 for one person to hear another speak without bawling in his ear. 

 The ground Avas strewed with broken limbs of trees, eggs, and 

 young squab pigeons, which had been precipitated from above, 

 and on which herds of hogs were fattening. Hawks, buzzards and 

 eagles were sailing around in great numbers, and seizing the 

 squabs from the nests at pleasure ; while from twenty feet 

 upward to the tops of the trees the view through the woods 

 presented a perpetual tumult, of crowding and fluttering multi- 

 tudes of pigeons, their wings roaring like thunder ; mingled 

 with the frequent crash of falling timber; for now the ax-men 

 were at work cutting down those trees that seemed to be the 

 most crowded with nests, and contrived to fell them in such a 

 manner that in their descent they might bring down several 

 others, by Avhich means the falling of one large tree sometimes 

 produced 200 squabs, little inferior in size to the old ones, and 

 almost one mass of fat. ... It was dangerous to walk 

 under these flying and fluttering millions, from the frequent fall 

 of large branches, broken down by the weight of the multitudes 

 above, and which in their descent often destroyed numbers of 

 the birds themselves." 



But what is the result "? These birds have long since ceased 

 to be of any economical, much less commercial importance. They 



