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



mendous numbers of this species of Pigeon have been seen in 

 Pennsylvania. 



In the beginning of the month of February, about the year 1729, 

 according to the stories told by older men, an equally countless 

 multitude of these Pigeons as the one just mentioned, if not a still 

 larger number, arrived in Pennsylvania and New Jersey. Even 

 extremely aged men stated that on 3, 4, 5 or several more occasions 

 in their lifetime they had seen such overwhelming multitudes in 

 these places; and even the parents of these people had in their 

 turn told them that the same phenomenon had occurred several 

 times during their own lives; so that 11, 12, or sometimes more 

 years elapse between each such unusual visit of Pigeons. 



From Lawson's History of Carolina, p. 141, I see that in the 

 winter of 1707, which was the severest known in Carolina since 

 it was settled by Europeans, an equally awe-inspiring number of 

 these Pigeons had made an appearance in Carolina and the other 

 Southern English Settlements, driven thither by causes which I 

 will now mention. 



The learned and observant Doctor Colden told me that during 

 his stay in North America, where he had been since the year 1710, 

 at his country place Coldingham, situated between New York and 

 Albany, he had on two distinct occasions, although at an interval 

 of several years, witnessed the arrival of these Pigeons in such 

 great and unusual numbers that during 2 or 3 hours, while they 

 flew by his house, the sky was obscured by them, and that they 

 presented the appearance of a thick cloud. 



All the old people were of the opinion that the months of Febru- 

 ary and March is the single season of the year when the Pigeons 

 swoop down upon Pennsylvania and the adjacent English Provinces 

 in such marvelous quantities ; at other seasons of the year they are 

 not to be seen in any great numbers. 



The cause of their migrations from the upper part of the country 

 in such great quantities at this season is twofold: first, when there 

 is a failure of the crop of acorns and other fruit in the places where 

 they otherwise generally spend the winter, thus rendering their 

 supply of food insufficient to last until the ensuing summer; and 

 second, and chiefly, when an unusually severe winter with abundant 

 and long remaining snow happens to occur in their customary 



