432 A. H. Wright, Early Records of the Passenger Pigeon. Lbct. 



and one would have thought that all the Turtle-Doves upon Earth 

 had chose to pass thro' this place. For the eighteen or twenty 

 days that we stay'd there, I firmly believe that a thousand Men 

 might have fed upon 'em heartily, without putting themselves 

 to any trouble." In two other places^ does he mention them; 

 in the latter instance, to include them in his " I.ist of the Fowl or 

 Birds that frequent. .. .Canada"; and in the former, merely 

 to note that "the Turtle-Doves had all passed over the place, in 

 quest of their Southern retreats, . . . . " 



In the same year (1687) Richard Blome in his "The Present State 

 of His Majesties Isles and Territories in America," published in 

 London, enumerates the wild pigeons in four places. In New 

 Jersey (p. 80) he says, "The Counterey is well stored with Wild 

 Deer, . . . .and wild fowl of several sorts; as Turkeys, Pigeons. . . . 

 in great plenty." In Pennsylvania (p. 94), "Of Fowls of the Land 

 there is the Turkey. . . .Pheasants,. . . .Pigeons. . . .in abundance." 

 In Virginia (p. 189), "They have great plenty of Fowl; as. . . . 

 Pigeons,.. ." And finally, comes an isolated note (p. 252), 

 "Then there is the Wood Pigeon; . • . " 



The year following (1688) Mr. John Clayton Speaks of the almost 

 incredible stories he has heard about the pigeon. He says,' 

 " Their Turtle-Doves are of a duskish blue Colour, much less than 

 our common Pigeon: the whole Train is longer much than the 

 Tails of our Pigeons, the middle Feather being the longest. There 

 is the strangest Story of a vast Number of these Pigeons that 

 came in a Flock a few Years before I came thither; They say they 

 came thro' Neiv England, Neiv York and Virginia and were so 

 prodigious in Number as to darken the Sky for several Hours 

 in the place over which they flew, and broke massive Boughs where 

 they light, many like things which I have had asserted to me by 

 many Eye-witness of Credit, that to me it was without doubt, the 

 Relators being very sober Persons, and all agreeing in a story: 

 Nothing of the like ever happen'd since, nor did I ever see past ten 

 in a Flock together that I remember. I am not fond of such 

 Stories, and had suppressed the relating of it, but that I have 

 heard the same from very many." 



1 Ibid., pp. 63 and 237. 



^Clayton, John. A Letter from Mr. John Clayton to the Royal Society May 12, 

 1688, Giving an Account of several Observables in Virginia, etc., p. 30. 



