436 A. H. Wright, Early Records of the Passenger Pigeon. [oct. 



years, these birds come down from the northern regions in flights 

 that it is marvellous to tell of. A gentleman of the town of Niagara 

 assured me, that once as he was embarking there on board ship 

 for Toronto, a flight of them was observed coming from that 

 quarter; that as he sailed over Lake Ontario to Toronto forty 

 miles distant from Niagara, pigeons were seen flying over head the 

 whole way in a contrary direction to that in which the ship pro- 

 ceeded; and that on arriving at the place of his destination, the 

 birds were still observed coming down from the north in as large 

 bodies as had been noticed at any one time during the whole 

 voyage; supposing, therefore, that the pigeons moved no faster 

 than the vessel, the flight, according to this gentleman's account, 

 must at least have extended eighty miles. Many persons may 

 think this story surpassing belief; for my own part, however, 

 I do not hesitate to give credit to it, knowing as I do, the respecta- 

 bility of the gentleman who related it, and the accuracy of his 

 observation. When these birds appear in such great numbers, 

 they often light on the borders of rivers and lakes, and in the 

 neighborhood of farm houses, at which time they are so unwary, 

 that a man with a short stick might easily knock them down by 

 hundreds. It is not oftener than once in seven or eight years, 

 perhaps, that such large flocks of these birds are seen in the country. 

 The years in which they appear are denominated 'pigeon years'." 

 The first note in the nineteenth century comes the first year, 

 when Alexander Henry, in his journal, writes, Apr. 11, 1800, that, 

 "I embarked in my canoe for Portage la Prairie. Weather ex- 

 cessively hot. Wild pigeons passing N. in great abundance." 

 Again, on the 23rd of April, 1802, when on the east side of the 

 Red River he says ' "River clear of ice. Pigeons passing N." 



"The Expeditions of Zebulon Montgomery Pike," by the same 

 editor,^ shows that Pike on a trip from Leech River to St. Louis, 

 April 28, 1806, " Stopped at some islands about ten miles above 

 Salt River, where there were pigeon-roosts, and in about 15 min- 

 utes my men had knocked on the head and brought on board 298. 



' Henry, Alexander, The Manuscript Journals of. By Elliott Coues. Three 

 vols.. New York, 1897. Vol. I, pp. 4 and 195. 



2 Pike, Zebulon Montgomery, The Expeditions of. During the Years 1805-6-7. 

 New Edition. By Elliott Coues. 3 vols. New York, 1895. Vol. I, p. 212. 



