238 HISTORY OF THE 



Iris red; bill and claws black; legs and feet lake red. 



This species — commonly called the Wild Pigeon — so abund- 

 ant formerly, is fast disappearing, though still to be found in 

 numbers within the Indian Territory and portions of the South- 

 ern States. They are irregular wanderers, the gypsies among 

 birds; their natural home, however, is within the wooded lands, 

 and they are therefore seldom met with upon the broad prairies. 



The following interesting description of these birds is from 

 "North American Land Birds," Vol. Ill, p. 370: 



"The Wild Pigeon appears to be almost entirely influenced 

 in its migrations by the abundance of its food, excepting in those 

 parts of the country in which it has not been known to remain 

 during the winter. Even in these movements it is largely in- 

 fluenced by instinctive considerations of food. Evidently the 

 temperature has but little to do with their migrations, as they 

 not unfrequently move northward in large columns as early as 

 the 7th of March, with a thermometer twenty degrees below the 

 freezing point. In the spring of 1872 a large accumulation of 

 these" birds took place early in March, in the eastern portion of 

 New York. Tiiey were present in the forests about Albany, and 

 were taken in such immense numbers that the markets of New 

 York and Boston were largely supplied with them. 



"As early as the 10th of March they were ascertained to have 

 in their ovaries full-grown eggs ready for exclusion. In Ken- 

 tucky they have been known, according to Audubon, to remain 

 summer and winter in the same district for several successive 

 years, in consequence of great abundance of food, while in other 

 parts of the State none were to be met with. They suddenly 

 disappeared as soon as the beechmast had become exhausted, 

 and did not return for a long period. 



"The Wild Pigeons are capable of propelling themselves in 

 long-continued flights, and are known to move with an almost 

 incredible rapidity, passing over a great extent of country in a 

 very short time. It is quite a common and well-ascertained 



