THE PASSENGER PIGEON IN PENNSYLVANIA 229 



barn wa§ made of boards and had a shingle roof. Per- 

 ches, such as poles and tree limbs, were in the place 

 where thousands of the pigeons were kept in captivity. 



Slain by Thousands 



"In 1878, I attended a live-bird shoot at Oil City. 

 It lasted three days, and between 200 and 300 marks- 

 men participated. Several thousand birds — all wild 

 pigeons — were shot on this occasion. May 11, 12 and 

 13, 1880, I shot in McKean County, about fourteen 

 miles from Kane, forty-four dozen and nine wild 

 pigeons, all adults. Only one bird was killed at a 

 shot. These birds were taken as they flew between 

 nesting place and feeding ground. Dead pigeons, 

 mostly packed in barrels, were shipped to large cities 

 in carload lots. These birds were not picked, nor were 

 they eviserated. The heads and wings, however, 

 were usually pulled ofif. 



''I have netted and aided to net thousands of 

 pigeons during their flights to northern nesting places. 

 Also, when they were feeding in wheat and buckwheat 

 fields, but I never netted pigeons on salt beds. 



Immense Flocks 



*'In May, 1878, when riding on the railway from 

 Kane to a point about twenty miles west of Kane, 

 I saw a constant flight of wild pigeons. There w^ere 

 millions, and all seemed to be adults.. The continu- 

 ous flock or stream of birds was fully twenty miles 

 wide. This was in the morning. 



