410 LEAVES FROM THE 



view, and there to his astonishment he beheld them fly- 

 ing with great steadiness and rapidity at a height above 

 gun-shot, in several strata deep, and close together. On 

 they came, and from right to left as far as the eye could 

 reach, the breadth of this vast winged procession, every- 

 where equally crowded, extended. He took out his 

 watch to note the time, and sat down to observe the 

 passing masses. It was half-past one, and for more than 

 an hour did Wilson sit, expecting that this aerial ani- 

 mated stream would cease to flow, but instead of a 

 diminution, the vast procession seemed to increase in 

 numbers and rapidity. As he was anxious to reach 

 Frankfort before night, he rose and went on. At that 

 town he crossed Kentucky river, about four o'clock in the 

 afternoon, at which time the living torrent above his 

 head seemed as strong and as extensive as ever. Long 

 after this, large bodies continued to pass for six or eight 

 minutes. These were followed by other detached flights, 

 all moving in the same south-east direction, till after six 

 o'clock in the evening. 



A rough calculation of this mass was made by the 

 delightful American ornithologist, and he came to the 

 conclusion that its whole length was 240 miles, and that 

 the numbers composing it amounted to 2,230,272,000 

 pigeons at least ; indeed, he expresses his conviction that 

 these enormous numbers are probably far below the 

 actual amount. 



Think of the consumption of such legions. Wilson 

 did think of it, and observes, that allowing each pigeon 

 to consume half a pint of food per diem, the whole 

 quantity would equal 17,424,000 bushels daily. 



Audubon, who has, to the great regret of his friends, 

 lately gone, full of years and of honours, by that dark road 

 which must be passed by us all, confirms Wilson in every 

 particular, except that Audubon declares that the pas- 

 senger-pigeon lays two eggs. We have seen that, in con- 

 finement, this bird, like the gouras, laid but one. 



