56 Kalm, Wild Pigeons in North America. [jan. 



duced than in this bird. Mr. Catesby calls it a golden color, 

 but it can hardly be termed that. 



In the copy of Mr. Catesby's work which I have seen, both the 

 head and the back are of a darker color, and the breast is also of 

 a redder color than the bird actually has. This I could very well 

 see when I laid a recently killed male beside Mr. Catesby's figure, 

 as it is the male which is reproduced in his work. Mr. Edward 

 [sic] has entirely omitted the above mentioned copper color both 

 in his description and his figure. It may be that some of the young 

 ones do not have it; but it was found on all those which I have 

 handled, and which were killed in the spring. 1 



Quite a number of these Pigeons may be seen every summer in 

 the woods of Pennsylvania and New Jersey and the adjoining 

 provinces, in which region they live and nest; and it is very seldom 

 that a greater number of them are not observed there in the 

 spring, during the months of February and March, than in the 

 other seasons of the year. But there are certain years when they 

 come to Pennsylvania and the Southern English Provinces in 

 such indescribable multitudes as literally to appall the people. 

 I did not, however, have the opportunity of witnessing such per- 

 sonally (although the spring of the year 1749, when I was there, 

 was considered as one of those in which a greater number of these 

 Pigeons appeared than had been the case for some years previously : 

 yet it was not one of the particular or more unusual ones) ; but all 

 persons who had observed these happenings and lived long enough 

 to remember several of them recited several incidents connected 

 therewith. Some had even made short notes of various details, 

 of which I will cite the following: 



In the spring of 1740, on the 11th, 12th, 15th, 16th, 17th, 18th 

 and 22nd of March (old style), but more especially on the 11th, 

 there came from the north an incredible multitude of these Pigeons 

 to Pennsylvania and New Jersey. Their number, while in flight, 

 extended 3 or 4 English miles in length, and more than one such 

 mile in breadth, and they flew so closely together that the sky 

 and the sun were obscured by them, the daylight becoming sensibly 

 diminished by their shadow. 



1 Edwards' figure represents a distinct species of another genus, namely the 

 Columba ( = Zenaidura) macroura. 



