32 DAKWIFISM chap. 



under tliese flying and fluttering millions, from the frequent 

 fall of large branches, broken doAvn by the Aveight of the 

 multitudes above, and which in their descent often destroyed 

 numbers of the birds themselves ; while the clothes of those 

 engaged in traversing the woods were completely covered 

 Avith the excrements of the pigeons. 



" These circumstances were related to me by many of the 

 most respectable part of the community in that quarter, and 

 were confirmed in part by what I myself witnessed. I passed 

 for several miles through this same breeding-place, Avhere 

 every tree Avas sjDotted Avith nests, the remains of those above 

 described. In many instances I counted upAvards of ninety 

 nests on a single tree ; but the pigeons had abandoned this 

 place for another, 60 or 80 miles off", toAvards Green 

 River, Avhere they Avere said at that time to be equally 

 numerous. From the great numbers that Avere constantly 

 passing over our heads to or from that quarter, I had no 

 doubt of the truth of this statement. The mast had been 

 chiefly consumed in Kentucky; and the pigeons, every morn- 

 ing a little before sunrise, set out for the Indiana territory, 

 the nearest jDart of Avhich was about sixty miles distant. 

 Many of these returned before ten o'clock, and the great body 

 generally appeared on their return a little after noon. I had 

 left the public road to visit the remains of the breeding-j^lace 

 near Shelbyville, and Avas traversing the woods Avith my gun, 

 on my AA^ay to Frankfort, Avhen about ten o'clock the pigeons 

 which I had observed flying the greater part of the morning 

 northerly, began to return in such immense numbers as I never 

 before had Avitnessed. Coming to an opening by the side of 

 a creek, where I had a more uninterrupted vieAv, I AA^as 

 astonished at their appearance : they Avere flying Avith great 

 steadiness and rapidity, at a height beyond gunshot, in 

 several strata deep, and so close together that, could shot 

 have reached them, one discharge could not have failed to 

 bring doAvn several individuals. From right to left, as far as 

 the eye could reach, the breadth of this A^ast j^rocession ex- 

 tended, seeming everyAvhere equally croAvded. Curious to 

 determine hoAV long this appearance Avould continue, I took 

 out my AA\atch to note the time, and sat doAvn to observe them. 

 It Avas then half-past one ; I sat for more than an hour, but 



