rAuk 



410 Craig, Emotion in the Passenger Pigeon. |_Oct. 



A. The Forms of Expression. 



General Bearing. As I have said, the Passenger Pigeon had in 

 every respect an individuality which marked it off from the other 

 species of the family, an individuality which stood forth in walking, 

 flying, and every other activity, and even when the bird stood 

 silent and still on the perch. Professor Whitman says, in a pub- 

 lished letter (Mershon, p. 199): "Of all the wild pigeons in the 

 world the Passenger Pigeon is my favorite. No other pigeon 

 combines so many fine qualities in form, color, strength and per- 

 fection of wing power." And chief Pokagon says (Mershon, p. 49) : 

 " It was proverbial with our fathers that if the Great Spirit in His 

 wisdom could have created a more elegant bird in plumage, form, 

 and movement, He never did." The bird was a majestic, muscular, 

 trim body; it consisted of a splendid chest and wings, contrasting 

 with rather short legs and small head, and tapering gradually 

 into the long, slender tail. It was eminently a bird of flight; on 

 the ground, it was rather awkward for a pigeon, its legs seeming 

 too short and its massive shoulders too heavy. In regard to this, 

 as in regard to all other points where practicable, I shall transcribe 

 original notes verbatim. 



"AH important sounds given on perch or nest, they do nothing on 

 ground but feed, female sometimes making angry noise when quarrelling 

 over food, but I have not known male do even that." 



In contrast to this lack of ease on the ground, is the ease and 

 nobility of the Passenger Pigeon when flying and also when perched 

 aloft. When sitting on a perch in the aviary the male often in- 

 dulged in a grand wing exercise, an impressive display totally 

 different from the fluttering exercise of the other species of pigeon. 1 



"August 1. Male often sits on perch or on ledge and flaps his wings 

 for long time preparatory to flight, looking about him attentively as he 

 does so. For a small part of the time, especially just at the beginning of 

 each series, wings may be held up without being spread, and very slightly 

 flapped; again, they may be fully spread and flapped with the fullest 

 amplitude, the carpi coming within about li inch over the back. The 



1 1 find that I made note of a similar wing exercise once in the Homing Pigeon, 

 and once in the Rock Dove, Columba livia. 



