Vol. XXIX1 

 1912 



j Hodge, A Last Word on the Passenger Pigeon. 171 



shall, in cooperation with the Biological Survey, be requested to 

 prepare for discussion at each annual meeting an authoritative 

 statement concerning the American species which are in danger 

 of extermination. Is it not high time that the American Orni- 

 thologists' Union take a strong, leading part in presenting to the 

 country problems in this important field? 



A number of reports, a few of them seemingly of great proba- 

 bility, indicate that straggling single Pigeons and even small flocks 

 have been sighted during 1911. 



Professor J. H. Moore writes from Chicago, July 14, 1911. 



"I have seen this bird on two different mornings since July 4, and have 

 taken out grains and other foods and put them near where the bird was 

 seen. I have, however not seen it for several days now. This bird was 

 also observed by another gentleman of Chicago to whom I told the exact 

 location of the bird — a man who has seen thousands of them wild. There 

 is no doubt of the identity of the bird, as I studied it very carefully the 

 second time I saw it." (From letter forwarded by W. C. McAtee.) 



Cottage Grove, Wis. 

 Mr. John E. Mellish reports that he studied for an hour, during a rain, 

 a "large bird" which came from the south about 10 a. m., Apr. 13. It later 

 flew north. He examined it at a distance of 60 feet with a 3 inch telescope 

 with a power of fifty diameters, which revealed every marking distinctly. 

 There was "not a single speck of dark under the ear or on the side of the 

 head in any place." (From a letter forwarded by Prof. I. N. Mitchell, 

 whose acquaintance with Mr. MelHsh leaves him in no doubt that he saw 

 a passenger pigeon.) 



Paul J. Sisson, Senaca Falls, N. Y. writes, Sept. 12, 1911. 



"I saw a single male passenger pigeon on Sept. 9 at 3 o'clock in the after- 

 noon, in an apple tree in our orchard. . . .The bird flew direct south." 



Mr. James Finch, of Albion Michigan, under date of June 1, 

 1911, describes what he believes to have been a nesting roost of a 

 flock of nearly 500 Pigeons "in a piece of woods by the river" on 

 his farm. This refers to season of 1910. He writes: 



"We did not notice the birds until sometime in July, and soon after 

 harvest we noticed them flying from the river and woods to a wheat stubble 

 about half mile away. 50 or 60 years ago pigeons were very plenty on 

 the same fields. They came then in flocks and all together and these birds 

 came in a flock and went away all at once. Their departure was about 

 the middle of September. They acted so much Uke the old wild pigeons 



