The Pigeon in Manitoba 195 



bred here, I remember no extensive breeding colonies 

 in the province, and believe the great majority passed 

 farther north to breed. About 1870 the decrease in 

 their numbers was most pronouncedly manifest, this de- 

 cline continuing until the early eighties, when they had 

 apparently all disappeared, and I have seen only occa- 

 sional birds since, and none of late years." 



Mr. W. J. McLean, formerly of the Hudson's Bay 

 Company and at present a resident of Winnipeg, sends 

 me some valuable information, which supports my con- 

 tention regarding the influence of food supply. He 

 writes : 



"I came to the Red River Settlement in i860 and 

 found the pigeons very plentiful on my arrival. The 

 birds came in many thousands, and great numbers of 

 them bred in the northeastern portion of the province 

 through the district north of the Lake of the Woods 

 and Rainy Lake, where the cranberry and blueberry 

 are abundant. These fruits constitute their chief food 

 supply, as they remain on the bushes and retain much 

 of their food properties until well on into the summer 

 following their growth. They also feed largely on 

 acorns wherever they abound. The decline began about 

 the early seventies, and 1877 was the first year in which 

 I encountered large flocks of them passing northwesterly 

 from White Sand River near Fort Pelly. This was on 

 a dull, drizzling day about the middle of May, and I 

 presume they were then heading towards the Barren 



