THE PASSENGER PIGEON IN PENNSYLVANIA 241 



crushed, and the bird's hfe went out. After all the 

 birds had been treated, the nets were reset, the dead 

 pigeons carried into the bough house, in bags, and an- 

 other ^'lookout," kept. 



"I think I gave you an outline of 'Pigeon Nesting,' 

 and will only give you a general view of the subject. 

 First, they sent out an expedition of some three or 

 four hundred pigeons in the very early spring, as soon 

 as the hillsides were bare. This expedition deter- 

 mined the food question, and returned to the flock — 

 as the swarming bee knows its tree before leaving the 

 hive, so did the pigeon know its nesting place before 

 starting from its winter quarters. The nesting was 

 built in compact form, with a certain length and width. 

 So closely did they comply with this method, that trees 

 on the sides of the nesting often would have from 

 twenty-five to fifty nests on the inside and not a 

 single nest on the opposite side of the tree, but a few 

 scattered birds would nest alone, or in groups, miles 

 from the general nesting. They built a poorly con- 

 stucted nest, of just enough sticks to hold the eggs. 

 And in most nests, visitors to the nesting could easily 

 see the eggs shining through from the ground. They 

 laid tzvo eggs, to the pair, though many, very many 

 nests had but one egg in, and as many more had none 

 at all. 



"A pair of pigeons would build a nest in a day or 

 two. at most. Sometimes the weather was against 

 them, and an egg had to be dropped before a receptacle 

 for it was ready. Others were trapped or shot before 



