AMERICAN PIGEONS. 57 
The numbers of these birds which associate in 
their breeding-places almost surpass belief; but the 
facts are too well authenticated to admit of any 
doubt. These breeding-places are always in the 
woods, and sometimes occupy a large extent of 
forest. ‘“ When they have frequented,” says Wil- 
son, ‘one of these places for some time, the ap- 
pearance it exhibits is surprising. The ground is 
covered to the depth of several inches with their 
dung ; all the tender grass and underwood destroyed ; 
the surface strewed with large limbs of trees, broken 
down by the weight of the birds clustering one above 
another; and the trees themselves, for thousands of 
acres, killed as completely as if girdled with an axe. 
The marks of this desolation remain for many years 
on the spot; and numerous places could be pointed 
out where for several years after scarce a single 
vegetable made its appearance. By the Indians, 
a pigeon-roost or breeding-place is considered an 
important source of national profit and dependance. 
The breeding-place differs from the former in its 
greater extent. In the western countries above 
mentioned, these are generally in beech woods, and 
often extend in nearly a straight line across the 
country for a great way. Not far from Shelbyville, 
in the State of Kentucky, about five years ago, there 
was one of these breeding-places, which stretched 
through the woods nearly in a north and south di- 
rection; was several miles in breadth, and was said 
to be upward of forty miles in extent! In this tract 
almost every tree was furnished with nests, wher- 
ever the branches could accommodate them. The 
pigeons made their first appearance there about the 
10th of April, and left it altogether, with their young, 
before the 25th of May. Assoonas the young were 
fully grown, and before they left their nests, numer- 
ous parties of the inhabitants from all parts of the 
adjacent country came with wagons, axes, beds, 
cooking utensils, many of them accompanied by the 
