THE PASSENGER PIGEON IN PENNSYLVANIA 109 



to the northern wilds of British America, and were at 

 some time caught in a great blizzard and perished from 

 cold, thereby wiping the species from the face of the 

 earth. 



It may be claimed, in refutation of this supposition, 

 that a number of the people have reported that they 

 have seen pigeons, since that time in small flocks, or 

 in single pairs in the mountain regions of Pennsylva- 

 nia. It is quite probable that these persons made the 

 mistake of taking turtle doves for passenger pigeons. 

 This might have been done very easily, as the turtle 

 dove bears a striking resemblance to the pigeon. This 

 dove is usually to be found in single pairs, or in small 

 flocks, as were the pigeons reported to have been seen. 

 These doves are quite plentiful in some parts of Penn- 

 sylvania. However, I think it safe to assume, that a 

 passenger pigeon has not been seen in Pennsylvania, 

 nor in any other of the United States, or in British 

 America, Mexico, or any other part of the world, in 

 ten years. 



However phenomenal was the sudden disappear- 

 ance of a bird of such wonderful fecundity; however 

 unexplainable such a sudden extinction may be, yet it 

 must be accepted as an indisputable fact. 



