THE PASSENGER PIGEON IN PENNSYLVANIA 97 



take its place. All that was necessary to be done was 

 to load and fire. 



Having secured all the pigeons we desired, and 

 the time having nearly expired for which we had ob- 

 tained the loan of our guns, we hastened down the 

 hill, getting home in time for breakfast. 



Desirous of gaining further information, I climbed 

 the hill again in the afternoon, and took a more ex- 

 tensive survey of the nesting. 



There seemed to be no diminution of the number 

 of the birds, but there was an absence of long, strung- 

 cut flocks moving with lightning-like velocity through 

 the woods, showing in passing, a transitory glint of 

 feathers and rapidly beating wings. 



But few birds were on the ground, and these were 

 in search of dry twigs with which to construct their 

 nests. Whether the male birds assisted in building 

 the nests I was unable to ascertain, but presumed they 

 were, from the rapidity with which they were being 

 finished. 



It was noticeable, however, that the males seemed 

 to get more time than the females, to sit around on 

 lower branches of the trees, as if in quiet contempla- 

 tion of what was going on. This made them, an easy 

 mark for the gunners. Upon an examination of al- 

 most any string of 'birds killed, it would be found that 

 nearly all of them would be males. Early the next 

 morning a great number of the birds were leaving the 

 nesting ground to feed ; that they were mostly female 

 could be known from the fact that when going out in 



