68 THE PASSENGER PIGEON IN PENNSYLVANIA 



ers, hanging like the bridle reins of a horse in motion, 

 when under saddle, and held by an experienced rider. 

 By this mark the hunters knew a brooding bird at a 

 glance, even in flight, when the wild pigeons had re- 

 turned and assembled at their nesting colony, before 

 nest building began and until the squabs .had been 

 abandoned to hunt their own food. Then the ducts 

 shrank beneath the feathers, until they became active 

 for another brooding period. They have been classi- 

 fied as genus of Ectopistes, moving from place, and 

 sometimes the term ]\Iigratorius is added for emphasis. 

 The bill had longitudinal nostrils in the middle of it. 

 The wings were long and pointed; first and second 

 quills longest. The tail was long; four central feath- 

 ers sharp. Tarsi were feathered to knees. They 

 were peculiar to North America, in habitat. 



The birds of North America are catalogued in 

 about 925 species and subspecies. ]\Iany exten- 

 sive works on them show their histories as only 

 the science of ornithology can do. However, 

 association with the birds endows the subject with 

 life and interest, so that we may visualize and under- 

 stand it better. In their habits, the pigeons greatly 

 resemble each other ; mostly haunting trees and, more 

 or less, they are carpophagous, or fruit eaters at the 

 season when it is available; some however, prefer the 

 soil, as hunting-ground for insects, and for the succu- 

 lent roots and leaves they are fond of ; but generally, 

 the family likeness is strong enough for even a novice 

 in ornitholog}^ to know a pigeon when he sees one, ex- 



