ROOSTING PLACES OF WILD PIGEONS. 293 



It is universally asserted in the western countries, that the 

 Pig-eons, though they have only one young at a time, breed 

 thrice, and sometimes four times, in the same season ; the 

 circumstances already mentioned render this highly probable. 

 It is also worthy of observation, that this takes place during 

 that period when acorns, beech nuts, &c., are scattered about 

 in the greatest abundance, and mellowed by the frost. But 

 they are not confined to these alone ; buckwheat, hempseed, 

 Indian corn, holly berries, hack berries, huckle berries, and 

 many others furnish them with abundance at almost all sea- 

 sons. The acorns of the live oak are also eagerly sought 

 after by these birds, and rice has been frequently found in 

 individuals killed many hundred miles to the northward of 

 the nearest rice plantation. The vast quantity of mast which 

 these multitudes consume, is a serious loss to the bears, pigs, 

 squirrels and other dependents on the fruits of the forest. I 

 have taken from the crop of a single Wild Pigeon, a good 

 handful of the kernels of beech nuts, intermixed with acorns 

 and chestnuts. To form a rough estimate of the daily con- 

 sumption of one of these immense flocks, let us first attempt 

 to calculate the numbers of that above mentioned, as seen in 

 passing between Frankfort and the Indiana territory. If we 

 suppose this column to have been one mile in breadth (and 

 I believe it to have been much more,) and that it moved at 

 the rate of one mile in a minute ; four hours, the time that 

 it continued passing, would make its whole length two hun- 

 dred and forty miles. Again, supposing that each square 

 yard of this moving body comprehended three Pigeons, the 

 square yards in the whole space, multiplied by three, would 

 give two thousand two hundred and thirty millions, two hun- 

 dred and seventy-two thousand Pigeons ! An almost incon- 

 ceivable multitude, and yet probably far below the actual 

 amount. Computing each of these to consume half a pint of 

 mast daily, the whole quantity at this rate, would equal 

 seventeen millions four hundred and twenty-four thousand 

 bushels per day ! 



A few observations on the mode of flight of these birds 



