62 Kalm, Wild Pigeons in North America. 



Auk 

 Jan. 



Mulberries. These ripen in Pennsylvania in the beginning of 

 June (new style), and are relished by these Pigeons almost above 

 everything else. During my stay in the last mentioned locality, 

 in 1750, I noticed that as soon as the mulberries became ripe the 

 pigeons put in their appearance in great numbers. Wherever a 

 Mulberry tree grew wild it was at this time generally full of Pigeons 

 which devoured the berries. They often caused me much vexation 

 because if I had located a Mulberry tree in the woods with the 

 intention of securing seeds when the berries became ripe and it 

 should happen that I did not watch out for the proper time, the 

 Pigeons had generally, in the meanwhile, been so industrious in 

 their picking that on my arrival scarcely a single berry was left. 

 If some of them were shot the others generally flew away a little 

 distance, but returned within a few minutes to the same Mulberry 

 tree; so that a person who owned such trees found no difficulty to 

 obtain daily a sufficient quantity of choice meat as long as the 

 mulberries lasted. 



They consume all kinds of grain, with the single exception of 

 corn, which is left untouched by them, although it has other 

 enemies. I noticed that they were particularly fond of the fol- 

 lowing kinds of grain: 



They ate Rye, although not with particular avidity, but rather 

 as if in the absence of something else more palatable. Some 

 persons assured me that they had seen with their own eyes how 

 these Pigeons, during summer time, when they had come to a ripe 

 wheat field, alighted on the fences, vomited up the Rye on which 

 they had previously feasted, and then swooped down upon the 

 wheat field, where they gorged their crops with wheat, as being 

 more appetizing. 



Wheat is one of their most coveted foods, which may be seen 

 from what has already been stated, as well as from many another 

 experience. As soon as the wheat fields become ripe they swoop 

 down on them in enormous numbers and take considerable toll 

 of them. When the wheat is stacked up in the field they also 

 visit it and devour all too much of it, if they should happen to be 

 in the least hungry. In the fall, when the wheat is recently sown, 

 they alight in full force in the fields and not only pick up the 

 grains which are more or less in broad daylight, but also poke up 



