SO Shufeldt, Anatomy of the Passenger Pigeon. [jan. 



supplied to the markets of the time, or of those allowed to remain 

 where they fell to the guns and other weapons of destruction of 

 the army of slaughterers responsible for their extinction. All this 

 is now past history, and will not be further touched upon in this 

 article more than to say, that Ectopistes migrator I us is now extinct; 

 and what is here set forth is but a brief account of my personal 

 observations upon the last known example of the species. 



From Mr. Stephan, who wrote me on the 7th of September, 1914, 

 I learn that " our female passenger pigeon died September 1st [1914] 

 at 1 p. m. of old age, being about 29 years old." It was almost 

 immediately packed in ice and shipped to the National Museum at 

 Washington, D. C, where it was received in fine condition on the 

 fourth of that month. On the morning of its arrival, Dr. Charles 

 W. Richmond, Assistant Curator of the Division of Birds of the 

 Museum, requested me, by telephone, to take part in making the 

 record of the specimen. 



When first seen and examined by me, the bird was in the posses- 

 sion of Mr. William Palmer of the National Museum, who had 

 been delegated to skin it for Mr. Nelson R. Wood, of the Taxi- 

 dermical Department, who, I was informed, was to have the honor 

 of mounting it for permanent preservation in the Ornithological 

 Exhibition Rooms of the museum. 



I found the bird to be an adult female in the moult, with a few 

 pin feathers in sight, and some of the middle tail feathers, including 

 the long, central ones, missing. The feathers of the abdomen, 

 and especially about the vent, were soiled to some extent, otherwise 

 the plumage of the bird was smooth and good. It had the appear- 

 ance of a specimen in health, with healthy eyes, eye-lids, nostrils, 

 and mouthparts. The feet were of a deep, flesh-colored pink, 

 clean and healthy, while the claws presented no evidences indicative 

 of unusual age, though not a few of wear. Its weight was not 

 taken. 



At my suggestion, the bird was taken by Mr. Palmer to the 

 photographic rooms of the museum, where, at about 11 A. M., it 

 was thrice posed by me for photography. Three (8 X 10) success- 

 ful negatives were at once made by the assistant photographer of 

 the institution, giving the specimen on anterior, posterior and lateral 

 views, with about one-fourth reduction. 



