248 LOST AND VANISHING BIRDS 



be an exaggeration, but if a tenth of it represents 

 the actual figures, can we wonder that tlie poor 

 bird is now becoming rare ? Passenger Pigeons 

 are said to be very noisy whilst nesting, the 

 sounds uttered resembling the croaking of frogs, 

 and the combined clamour from a colony can be 

 heard at a distance of four or five miles. The 

 nest of this Pigeon is a slight platform of dead 

 twigs placed on a flat branch or in a crotch near 

 the stem. The two eggs are pure white. It is 

 said that each " nesting " occupies about a month 

 or five weeks. The favourite food of this bird 

 is beech mast and seeds, but since the colonisa- 

 tion of America grain of all kinds is greedily 

 devoured. 



The general colour of the upper parts of the 

 adult male Passenger Pigeon is slate grey; the 

 scapulars and some of the wing coverts are brown 

 marked with black ; the quills and primary coverts 

 are black, the former margined with white ; the 

 central tail feathers are black, the remainder grey 

 marked with white, especially on the outermost. 

 The sides of the neck are violet grey, shot with 

 bronze and green ; the remainder of the under 

 parts is vinous chestnut, paler on the centre of 

 the breast and belly, and becoming white on the 



