PIGEONS. 



251 



flies with groat rapidity ami power, and willi a whislliiip; sound of the wings, twisting 

 frequently in its ilight, and threading its way among tlie branehes, whenever it enters 

 the woods, with unerring certainly. It possesses a graceful forn; and a soft voice, 

 and although no brilliant colors are seen on its ])luniagc, its modest, quakcr-Iikc garb 

 is very pleasant to look u])on. Two or tliree other species of the genus have been 

 described, some of doubtful value. 



Next to this grou]> comes A'ct op isles, with its single species, the wcll-kn(nvn 

 JS". tnigratoria, the wild or passenger-pigeon. .Vt one time tliis bird was extremely 

 common in North 

 America, passing over 

 vast portions of the 

 country in flocks of 

 such incredible num- 

 bers that they would 

 obscure the .sky, and 

 take a long time, some- 

 times days, to fly by 

 any particular place, 

 notwithstanding the 

 enormous sj)eed with 

 which they j)ursued 

 their course. This ra- 

 pidity of flight has 

 been estimated to 

 reach between seven- 

 ty and a hundred miles 

 an hour, and is an es- 

 seutial cjualiflcation 

 for this s])eeies, for 

 their numbers being 

 so great, they arecom- 

 pellcil to pursue a con- 

 stant migration, as it 

 were, in search of food, 

 and it therefore is of 

 prime necessity that 

 they sliould be able to 

 pass over a large ex- 

 tent of country in a 

 short )ieriod of time. 



Their form is most admirably ada])ted for aerial progression, being an elongated oval 

 propelled by long, well-proj)ortioned wings, moved by large and ])owerful muscles, and 

 steered by a long, graduated, fully-equipped tail. The limits of this article do not per- 

 mit .any extended account of this biril, and therefore oidy a few words can be written of 

 its roostiiig-]>laees. These are generally in forests where the trees are large, and but 

 little undergrowth occurs. These roosts have been known to extend for a distance of 

 forty miles in length and several miles in breadth. The trees in this tract would be 

 loaded down with nests, crowded closely together, so that large branches have been 



Fio. 120. — Ectopistes mifjrtUoi-ttui, [uisscnger-pigeon. 



