96 THE PASSENGER PIGEON IN PENNSYLVANIA 



This stripping the ground of nuts, to begin with, 

 was a surprise to me, as I had been informed by per- 

 sons professing to know, that the old birds never 

 picked up the nuts from the ground under the trees 

 upon which they built their nests, but left them for 

 the young birds when they left their nests. 



From what was going on around me, it was evident 

 that no such foresight could be attributed to the pigeon. 

 Nature evidently made all necessary provision for the 

 sustenance of the young birds on a small amount of 

 food until they were ready to follow their parents to 

 new nesting and feeding grounds. This provision 

 was made by storing up in the bodies of the squabs a 

 great amount of fat. Young birds killed a few days 

 after leaving their nests would be found to be very 

 lean. 



It was not long before the flocks were scattered, 

 and the low, gentle cooing of pairs of birds sidling up 

 together on the limbs of the trees, indicated that pair- 

 ing off and choosing places lor nests was going on. 



Other gunners arrived upon the scene, but the 

 pigeons paid no attention to the discharge of firearms 

 and the slaughter taking place, so intent wliere they 

 upon attending to their own affairs. 



A large number of the birds were being killed, but 

 the chance for firing into massed flocks had passed and 

 the hunters — if such they could be called — did not 

 have to seek their game. It came to them single or 

 in pairs. As fast as one bird was killed another would 



