CHAPTER II 



Customs, Flights and Nesting Grounds — Last Ap- 

 pearance of Noted Birds in the Central 

 Hardwood Belt 



UPON the subjects of nesting grounds and of the 

 migratory flights of the Passenger Pigeons the 

 legends have been numerous and wonderful, during 

 the last 200 years and more. Wherever the beech- 

 mast was plentiful, which may be roughly outlined as 

 "the central hardwood belt" and many conifer regions, 

 surrounding the same, in which grew much beech tim- 

 ber in groves of many other kinds of trees. From 

 the Niagara it ran east, then south, passing through 

 central New Jersey; thence southwest, following the 

 eastern and southern edge of the Piedmont plateau to 

 central Alabama; thence in a westerly direction into 

 Oklahoma ; thence north through that state to, approxi- 

 mately, its northeastern comer ; thence continuing in a 

 general northeasterly direction through Missouri and 

 Illinois to the northwest corner of Indiana; thence 

 northeast to Lake St. Clair in Michigan; thence east 

 through Ontario to the place of beginning. 



The territory thus included embraces parts of Can- 

 ada, New York, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, Vir- 

 ginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Ala- 

 bama, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Missouri, Illinois and 



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