THE PASSENGER PIGEON. 189 
CHAPTER. Xx. 
INSESSORES: PULLASTRA. 
CURSORES: GALLINZ. 
PIGEONS — GREAT FLIGHT OF PIGEONS, BY ‘‘ AUDUBON”? — 
TURTLE DOVE— WILD TURKEY—AMERICAN AND GAMBLE’S 
PARTRIDGE — CANADA, RUFFLED, AND PINNATED GROUSE 
— PTARMIGAN. 
THE natural division of Birds called Pullastrea 
embraces the Doves and Pigeons, the Australian 
Brush Turkey, the extinct Dodo, ete. 
Of all the different members belonging to these 
several groups, by far the most interesting is the 
Passenger, or common Wild Pigeon. It is possessed 
of some of the most singular habits which we have 
yet had occasion to notice in any bird. It is gifted 
with the most astonishing powers of flight, both as 
respects speed and continuance, one mile in a minute 
being considered as the average rate at which it trav- 
els, and this often for many hours together. But 
the most remarkable characteristic of these curious 
and interesting birds, is their habit of congregating 
together at all seasons of the year, and in such num- 
bers as we believe have no parallel among all the 
feathered tribes of the earth. During the period of 
incubation their nests will occupy almost every avail- 
able spot in a tract of woodland many miles in ex- 
