THE PASSENGER PIGEON IN PENNSYLVANIA 107 



destruction was going on, and liad 1)een going on for 

 weeks. 



Yet a pferson could scarcely be found who thought 

 that any perceptible diminution could be made in their 

 numbers. As yet, no note of warning had been 

 sounded which the public would heed. 



One or two days after my trip to the IJingman Run 

 nesting place the squabs left their nests — full-fledged 

 pigeons — the term squab applying to them no more. 

 I'he old pigeons had started on their migration to a 

 new nesting place in the far northwest. The young 

 birds stayed two or three days longer; by short flights 

 spreading over quite a large extent of the adjacent 

 territory, to gain strength and facility in the use of 

 their wings before attempting the long, sustained flight 

 necessary to keep them in touch with the older birds 

 in their migrations. They kept spreading out, mov- 

 ing on in small flocks, in search of food, until all at 

 once they were gone. Where? No one seemed to 

 know, except the men whose business of pigeon netting 

 and killing made it necessary for them to keep track 

 of them. 



Before they could join the old pigeons, and a nest- 

 ing place be chosen, these men were after them in 

 order to be on hand, wdien and wherever that might 

 be, to commence anew the slaughtering. 



When the pigeons left Dingman Run, the nesting 

 of pigeons in great numbers in Potter and adjoining 

 counties of Pennsylvania was a thing of the past. 



