A PiGEOK EOOST. 179 



never seen one, let me tell you it's worth going miles 

 and miles to see." 



I had heard and read, of these brooding places of 

 the wild pigeon, and was right glad to have an oppor- 

 tunity of judging of the truth of the statements in re- 

 gard to them. We paddled down the lake, to a point 

 opposite to where it seemed to be, and struck into the 

 woods. We had no difficulty in finding it, for the 

 thundering sound of those vast flocks, as they started 

 from their perches, led us on. About half a mile 

 from the lake we came to the outer edge of the roost. 

 Hundreds of thousands of pigeons, had flown away 

 that morning, and yet there were hundreds of thou- 

 sands, and perhaps many millions, old and young, 

 there yet. It covered acres and acres — I have no idea 

 how many, for I did not go round it. 



The trees were not of large growth, being mostl}' 

 of spruce and stinted birch, hemlock, and elm, but 

 every one was loaded with nests. In every crotch, on 

 every branch, that would support one, was a nestful 

 of young of all sizes, from the little downy thing just 

 escaped from the shell, to the full-grown one, just 

 ready to fly away. The ground was covered with 

 their offal, and the carcasses of the young in every 



