182 



They have almost entirely disappeared fiom earth. A few individuals 

 linger among the almost inaccessible regions of the Southern States 

 (Hasbrouck. The Auk, YIII. 1891, pp. 174-170)- 



The Pileated Woodpecker (Ceophloeus pileatus), known to the early 

 ■settlers as Logcock and Black Woodcock, was familiar to the eyes and 

 ■ears of the early colonists. They were averse to sharing their haunts 

 -with the white man. Less and less their numbers grew. They disap- 

 peared from one locality after another, until now but few are left in the 

 more sparsely settled districts of the State (Butler. Birds of Ind., 1897, 

 p. 838). 



The croak of the Raven (Corvus corax sinuatus) was a familiar sound 

 to the early pioneers. They saw its numbers lessen from year to year, 

 until their children, now, never see its form and do not know its voice. 

 From one locality after another, the few remaining birds have disap- 

 peared, until at this time it is probable that none are to be found within 

 the State. Until within the last five or six years, they have been known 

 to nest in ^Martin and Dubois counties. l)Ut I can learn of none having 

 •done so since (Proc. Ind. Acad, of Sci., 1897, p. 202). 



The Wild Turkey (Meleagris gallopavo), our most noble game bird, 

 lias been generally extirpated, although it is still reported from Knox, 

 'Gibson and other counties of the lower Wabash Valley. It, pi'obably, is 

 also to be found, in rare instances, in some of the wilder regions, else- 

 where, in soutluM'n Indiana. It formerly was numerous throughout the 

 State. 



The Swallow-tailed Kite (Elanoides forficatus) is known but to few. 

 In 1812, Alexander Wilson reported these graceful, giant, swallow- 

 shaped birds as abundant upon the prairies of Ohio and Indiana Terri- 

 tories (Amer. Orn., VI, 1812. p. 70). For seventy years after that but 

 one was reported from Indiana (Haymond. Proc. Phil. Acad. X. S., Nov., 

 1850. p. 287). Since then they have been seen at irregular intervals 

 in the i-outhern two-thirds of the State. 



Wild Pigeons (Ectopistes migratorius) were formerly found in such 

 countless numbers that no estimate could l)e made of their abundance. 

 During the season of their flight, tlocks of enormous size successively 

 passed, obscui'ing the sun and sometimes hiding the sky. At night, they 

 gathered in roosts in favorite localities. These roosts were often of great 

 extent. They alighted ui on the underbrush, crushing it to the ground, 

 and so weighted the trees that liml)s of large size were broken oft' by the 



