430 



AMERICAN FORESTRY 



which in the wild state, in- 

 habits the rocky coasts of 

 Europe from the Faeroes 

 to the Cyclades, nesting in 

 caverns. In the domestic 

 state, it has been carried 

 to all parts of the world 

 and more than 150 differ- 

 ent kinds, which breed true, 

 are now recognized by fan- 

 ciers. In the United States, 

 the only surviving species 

 of true pigeon is the band- 

 tailed pigeon of the Rocky 

 Mountain region and it is 

 becoming rare in many 

 places. It is a bird nearly 

 the size of the domestic 

 pigeon and somewhat the 

 same color, but with a 

 white band on the back of 

 the neck and a light gray 

 band on the end of the tail. 

 It feeds largely upon 

 acorns, young sycamore 

 balls and wild berries and 

 normally confines itself to 

 the mountains although it 

 sometimes frequents larger 

 river bottoms in large 



flocks if food is found to be good and abundant. 



If we omit the white-crowned pigeon of the Florida 



Keys and the West Indies, the only other true pigecm 



AN UNUSUAL NESTING SITE 



The mourning dove usually nests 0V1 the lower branch of a tree but here 

 its nest is placed on a fallen limb in a marsh. AH doves lay two white 



near Shelbyville in the 

 same State extended 

 through the woods for 

 nearly forty miles and was 

 several miles in width, 

 every tree of suitable size 

 being loaded down with 

 nests, the larger trees con- 

 taining from ten to forty. 

 Their nocturnal roosts, at 

 other seasons of the year, 

 were nearly as impressive. 

 Nuttal in describing them 

 states : "Nothing can ex- 

 ceed the waste and desola- 

 tion of the nocturnal re- 

 sorts ; the vegetation be- 

 comes buried by their 

 excrement to the depth of 

 several inches. The tall 

 trees for thousands of 

 acres are completely killed, 

 and the ground completely 

 strewed with massive 

 branches torn down by the 

 clustering weight of the 

 birds which have rested 

 upon them. The whole 

 region for several years 

 presents a continued scene 

 of devastation, as if swept by the resistless blast of a 

 whirlwind." The last wild birds of which we have any 

 definite record were shot in 1898, curiously enough both 



in Michigan and one in New York. 



During the ninety years from the time Wilson wrote 

 until the species disappeared, the birds were netted and 

 shot by the thousands and shipped in carloads or even 

 train loads to the markets or fed to the hogs. Not 



content 



netting 



shooting 



market 



ers 



the 



with 

 and 

 the 

 hunt- 

 went to 

 nesting 



indigenous to the United States and Canada is thi< on the same day, September 14, though one was killed 

 Passenger pigeon, but it is now extinct. The vast flocks 

 which during the last century darkened the sky,for 

 hours or even days at a time, are no more. The last 

 survivor of the whole race died in the Cincinnati zoologi- 

 cal park, September 1, 1914. Reward of several thou- 

 sands of dol- 

 lars have since 

 failed to bring 

 to light a sin- 

 gle living 

 specimen o f 

 this splendid 

 bird. Alexan- 

 der Wilson, 

 writing about 

 1808 estimated 

 that a flock 

 observed b y 

 him near 

 Frankfort, 

 Kentucky, con- 

 tained over two 

 billion indi- 

 duals and a 

 nesting colony 



When the two birds are side 

 entirely extinct; thi 

 September 1, 1914. 



PASSENGER 

 by side 



PIGEON AND MOURNING DOVE 



the difference in size is very apparent 

 last survivor of the once abundant species died in the Cincinnat 



The pigeon 

 Zo - 



is now 

 oological Park 



grounds with 

 clubs and fires 

 and sulphur 

 pots and killed 

 the birds on 

 their nests. At 

 one nesting 

 place in Michi- 

 gan, 500 net- 

 ters were at 

 work and their 

 average catch 

 was 200,000 

 birds apiece 



