44 



BIRDS OF AMERICA 



reijroduced slowly, laid but few eggs, and, when 

 its innumerable multitudes were reduced and its 

 flocks were dispersed, the end came rapidly. 



It often is asked how it was possible for man 

 to kill them all. It was not possible, nor was it 

 requisite that he should do so, in order to ex- 

 terminate them. All that was required to bring 

 about this result was to destroy a large part of 

 the young birds hatched each year. Nature cut 

 off the rest. She always eliminates a larsje 



Photo by R. W. Shufeldt 



THE LAST PASSENGER PIGEON 

 She died in tlie Cincinnati Zoological Park in 1914 



natural increase was practically cut off, and con- 

 stant diminution was assured. Extermination 

 must have resulted under such conditions, even 

 if no man ever killed an adult Passenger Pigeon. 

 The Pigeons were not irnmortal. Even if undis- 

 turbed by man, they " gave up the ghost " in a 

 few years ; but they were not undisturbed. No 

 adequate attempt to jirotect them was made until 

 they practically had disappeared. \\'henever a 

 law looking toward the conservation of these 

 birds was propored in any State, its opponents 

 argued before the legislative committees that the 

 Pigeons " needed no protection " ; that their 

 numbers were so vast, and that they ranged over 

 such a great extent of country, that they were 

 amply able to take care of themselves. This 

 argument defeated all measures that might have 

 given adequate protection to this species. That 

 is why extinction finally came quickly. \\'e did 

 our be.-t to exterminate both old and young, and 

 we succeeded. The explanation is so simple that 

 all talk of " mystery " seems sadly out of place 

 here. 



Ornithologists believe that the migrations of 

 this Pigeon were made mainly in pursuit of food, 

 and with little reference to the seasons of the 

 year. Undoubtedly, however, the tendency was 

 lo migrate north in the spring and south in the 

 fall, like other birds of passage. Some of the 

 pigeoners say that the Pigeons nested in the 

 southern States in winter ; but of this there is 

 no authentic record. 



The accounts of the early settlers in Massa- 

 chusetts show that there was a northward migra- 

 tion of Pigeons through New England in 

 March, and tliey sometimes lingered about Hiid- 

 son Bay until December, feeding on the berries 

 of the jtiniper. The roosts of the Pigeons were 

 so extensive and the birds frequenting them were 

 so numerous that it was necessary for them to 

 ily long distances daily in order to secure food 

 enough for their wants. In migration their 

 flight was very high and swift. Audubon esti- 

 mates that they flew a mile a minute, and others 

 have asserted that they sometimes traveled 

 100 miles an hour. This was probably an 



share of the young of all creatures. The greater 

 part of the Pigeons taken in summer and fall 

 were young birds. The squabs were sought be- 

 cause they brought a high price in the market. 

 The young when out of the nest were less ex- 

 perienced than the adults, and therefore more 

 easily taken. Sometimes the Pigeons were so 

 harassed that all their nestings were broken up, 

 and few young were raised that season ; thus the 



In searching for food in a country where it 

 was plentiful, the birds flew low, and, upon 

 reaching good feeding ground, swung in large 

 circles while examining the place. Some flocks 

 were composed of young birds, others were 

 mostly males, and still others almost entirely 

 females. 



Their roosting places were preferably in large 

 and heavy timber, sometimes in swamps. In 



