THE PASSENGER PIGEON IN PENNSYLVANIA 99 



the choppers a lively run before they were secured. 

 When caught the crop was seized between the index 

 and middle finger, the hand giving a quick flirt, re- 

 moving head and crop with a single motion. 



. The old pigeons paid little attention to the felling 

 of trees. They were going and coming and feeding 

 the squabs. The crop of the pigeon is partially di- 

 vided into two sections ; one of which consists of 

 glands, which becoine enlarged when the birds are 

 nesting. These glands secrete a milk-like substance 

 which coagulates into a substance having much the 

 appearance of the curd of cheese. This curd mixed 

 with partially digesi-ed food, is ejected into the mouths 

 of the squabs. Fed on any other food than this, 

 squabs would die. It seemed, from what observation 

 I w^as able to make, that it required some time, and 

 a season of rest, for this secretion and coagulation to 

 take place. On returning from feeding, the pigeons 

 would not proceed immediately' to feed the young 

 birds; but sit around on the branches of the trees — 

 usually over night at their roosting place. 



All of the young pigeons seemed to leave their nests 

 about the same time. At first their flight was quite 

 near the ground. People would take advantage of 

 this, and station themselves on the brow of the hill, 

 with long flexible poles, and whip into the low-flying 

 flocks, killing in this manner many birds. 



In April, 1868, I think it was, pigeons nested in 

 Bingham township. Potter county, Pennsylvania ; but 

 a fall of snow five or six inches in depth, caused them 



