136 The Birds of Albany County 



travelled in flocks numbering many millions of individuals; 

 now, the finding of a single specimen is an unusual event. Dur- 

 ing the Summer of 1906, and again in 1907, a Wild Pigeon 

 was observed by Mr. Edmund N. Huyck and others, at his 

 country place in Rensselaerville. This is the only report in 

 many years of the appearance of Ectopistes in this County. 

 About twelve years ago Mr. Charles Payne, of East Scho- 

 dack, Rensselaer County, saw a small flock and shot six, not 

 realizing at the time how extremely rare the Pigeon was. 

 These were the only individuals he had seen in many years, 

 and he has observed none since that time. During the present 

 year Mr. John Burroughs created a great deal of interest in 

 the ornithological world by announcing that he had positively 

 verified the report of the presence of a flock of about one 

 thousand Wild Pigeons near the Beaverkill, Sullivan County, 

 this State. The birds were observed late in the afternoon of 

 May 23, 1907, by a number of reliable persons, among whom 

 was an old farmer who had seen the birds in great numbers 

 in that vicinity forty years ago. He said that he knew Wild 

 Pigeons as well as he knew folks. Mr. Burroughs was per- 

 fectly confident that the record was authentic. (The Outlook, 

 July 13, 1907.) 



The nest of Passenger is a rude platform of sticks, set in a 

 tree; two white eggs are laid. 



