1 66 The Passenger Pigeon 



we started from home, we could hear the sullen roar of 

 that myriad of birds, and the sound increased in volume 

 as we approached the roost, till it became as the roar 

 of the breakers upon the beach. 



As we approached the swamp where the birds roosted, 

 a few scattered birds were frightened from the roost 

 along the edge of the swamp. These scattering birds 

 we could not shoot, but kept advancing further into the 

 swamp. As we approached this vast body of birds, 

 which bent the alders flat to the ground, we could see 

 every now and then ahead of us a small pyramid which 

 looked like a haystack in the darkness, and as we ap- 

 proached what appeared to be this haystack, the 

 frightened birds would fly from the bended alders, and 

 we would find ourselves standing in the midst of a 

 diminutive forest of small trees of alders and willows. 



We now found these apparent haystacks were only 

 small elms or willows completely loaded down with live 

 birds. My brother suggested that I shoot at the next 

 "haystack." So we advanced along very carefully 

 among the now upright alders till we came to where it 

 was a perfect roar of voices and wings, and just ahead 

 of us we saw one of those mysterious objects which so 

 resembled a haystack. 



My brother suggested that I aim at the center of it 

 and let the old horse pistol go. I instantly obeyed his 

 suggestion, pointing as best I could in the dim light at 

 the center of that form, and pulled. There was a flash 



