The Passenger Pigeon 71 



form of twigs, from 10 to 15 feet from the ground. I 

 have often found two eggs in a nest, but one is by far 

 the more common. These single nests have been 

 thought by some accidental, but for years they bred in 

 this manner all over the county, as plentifully as any of 

 our birds. I also found them breeding singly in Iowa. 

 These single nests have not attracted attention like the 

 great roosts, but I think it is a common manner of build- 

 ing with this species." 



Mr. Frank J. Thompson, in charge of the Zoological 

 Gardens at Cincinnati, Ohio, gives the following 

 account of the breeding of the wild pigeon in con- 

 finement: "During the spring of 1877, the society pur- 

 chased three pairs of trapped birds, which were placed 

 in one of the outer aviaries. Early in March, 1878, 

 I noticed that they were mating, and procuring some 

 twigs, I wove three rough platforms, and fastened them 

 up in convenient places, at the same time throwing a 

 further supply of building material on the floor. 

 Within twenty-four hours two of the platforms were 

 selected; the male carrying the material, whilst the 

 female busied herself in placing it. A single egg was 

 soon laid in each nest and incubation commenced. On 

 March 16, there was quite a heavy fall of snow, and on 

 the next morning I was unable to see the birds on their 

 nests on account of the accumulation of the snow piled 

 on the platforms around them. Within a couple of 

 days it had all disappeared, and for the next four or 



