AMERICAN PIGEONS. 69 
ninéty nests on a single tree; but the pigeons had 
abandoned this place for another, sixty or eighty 
miles off, toward: Green River, where they were 
said at that time to be equally numerous: From the 
prea numbers that were constantly passing over 
ead to or from that quarter, I had no doubt of the 
truth of this statement. The beech mast had been 
chiefly consumed in Kentucky, and the pigeons every 
morning, a little before sunrise, set out for the In- 
diana t«rritory, the nearest part of which was about 
sixty miles distant. Many of these returned before 
ten o’clock, and the great body generally appeared on 
their return a little after noon. I had left the public 
road to visit the remains of the breeding-place near 
Shelbyville, and was traversing the woods with my 
gun, on my way to Frankfort, when, about one o’clock, 
the pigeons, which I had observed flying the greater 
part of the morning northerly, began the return in 
such immense numbers as I never before had wits 
nessed. Coming to an opening by the side of a 
creek called the Benson, where I had a more unins 
terrupted view, I was astonished at their appearance, 
They were flying with great steadiness and rapidity, 
at a height beyond gunshot, in several strata deep, 
and so close together that, could slot have reached 
them, one discharge could not have failed of brings 
ing down several individuals. From right to left, 
as far as the eye could reach, the breadth of this vast 
procession extended, seeming everywhere equally 
crowded. Curious to determine how long this ap- 
pearance would continue, I took out my watch to 
note the time, and sat down to observe them. It 
was then half pastone. Isat for more than an hour, 
but, instead of a diminution of this prodigious pro- 
cession, it seemed rather to increase both in iia bets 
and rapidity ; and, anxious to reach Frankfort before 
night, | rose and wenton. About four o’clock in the 
afternoon I crossed the Kentucky river at the town of 
Frankfort, at which time the living torrent above my 
