124 KNOWING BIRDS THROUGH STORIES 



Finally, when the railroad entered that part of the coun- 

 try, the pigeons were slaughtered by the tens of thousands 

 and shipped to the city markets. This pigeon is now 

 totally extinct. It was one of our most interesting Amer- 

 ican birds and was found over the greater part of the 

 Mississippi valley, but like the buffalo it had to go before 

 the hunter's gun. 



Doves and pigeons belong to the family Columbidae. 

 They are peaceable birds, and look much alike. In fact, 

 their shape and appearance are so distinct that any one who 

 has seen a domestic pigeon should at once recognize any 

 member of the family even tho he does not know its variety 

 name. All these birds are largely seed eaters. So far as I 

 know they do not eat many insects or meat of any kind. 

 They do eat some green vegetable matter and fruit, but 

 mostly seeds. When the wheat and oats were in the shock, 

 farmers often complained because the birds congregated in 

 the grain fields and fattened themselves on the ripened 

 grain. 



The common turtle dove is one of the smaller birds of this 

 family. It is of a beautiful pinkish drab and brownish 

 above with a bluish gray head, and is very graceful. It is 

 found over most of the United States. One of its char- 

 acteristics is the fact that when it is startled and flies up 

 unexpectedly it flaps its wings together with a loud report 

 that startles you so that you are not able to do anything 

 until it is safe out of your way. Yet if this bird sees you 

 approach it will slip away as quietly as a shadow without 

 the least sound of its wings. They usually nest in bushes 

 and low trees, often building on large limbs. They 

 do not usually gather in droves until toward autumn; 

 the last brood of young is able to fly, one often sees 



