154 



THE PASSENGEK PIGEON. 



ago, and when opened by Mr. Heckford, 1 who preserved it, 

 the crop was full of beech nuts." 



Audubon and Wilson, in their works on American Birds, 

 give graphic accounts of the extraordinary migrations of the 

 Passenger Pigeon, over which in boyhood I have often pored 

 with delight. 



Mr. Saunders says its food consists largely of the service 

 berry (Amelanchier alnifolia), acorns, and beech mast, and 

 that as soon as the supply becomes exhausted, the immense 

 flocks suddenly disappear, and do not return for a long 

 period. 



It may be distinguished from our other Pigeons by its 

 long wedge-shaped tail. 



i Mr. G. S. Douglas of the Chronicle office, Kelso, writes to me under date 7th 

 May 1887 : " Mr. Heckford was a native of Blandford, Dorsetshire, and began 

 life as a hairdresser. Mr. Douglas of Cavers was in that neighbourhood and took 

 a fancy to Heckford, who was attending him (these were the days of perukes, &c.) 

 After twenty-three years' service at Cavers, Heckford came to Kelso in 1827, and 

 settled there. When the museum was founded he was appointed conservator, 

 and performed his duties gratuitously as well as efficiently. His knowledge of 

 taxidermy and natural history generally had been gained at the University of 

 Edinburgh, which he had the opportunity of attending when the Cavers family 

 were resident in that city during winter. He died on the 28th of February 1877, 

 aged ninety years." 



