176 PASSENGER PIGEON". 



certainly the whole account gives a very 'high flown' 

 representation of their flight. 



Epitomising his calculations, Alexander Wilson says, 'Allowing 

 two Pigeons to the square yard, we have one billion, one 

 hundred and fifteen millions, one hundred and thirty-six 

 thousand Pigeons in one flock, (flight;) and as every Pigeon 

 consumes fujly half a pint per day, the quantity required to 

 feed such a flock, must be eight millions, seven hundred and 

 twelve thousand bushels per day.' 



Their flight is extraordinarily rapid. It has been conclusively 

 proved that they have travelled, at the rate of about a mile 

 in a minute, between three and four hundred miles in six 

 hours. 



Dr. Saynisch, a German naturalist, thus describes their 

 nesting-places, and it certainly is corroborative of Audubon's 

 account. 'The gathering together of these birds, for the 

 purpose of incubation, was exhibited on a scale perfectly 

 astonishing. For a length of nine miles they had occupied 

 every tree and sapling in the whole breadth of the valley, 

 which is from a quarter to a third of a mile wide. Thousands 

 and millions of nests were seen on the beech, birch, and 

 maple trees, every tree of which contained several nests; and 

 I counted on some of them from twenty to fifty nests. 

 Unlike most birds, they are said never to return to their 

 nesting-places in a succeeding year; we therefore only saw 

 their deserted nests; yet even these were interesting, as 

 evidences of the countless numbers which had congregated 

 here. During the season, when the young Pigeons or 'squabs' 

 were ready to fly, their retirement was invaded by numerous 

 persons, who filled sacks and carts with them; there requiring 

 no other trouble than the shaking of the young trees, or 

 cutting down those of greater size. This year the Pigeons 

 established themselves in a new spot, in the beech woods, 

 ten miles to the west.' 



It would appear that the nest, which is placed in trees, 

 and is only a layer of a few sticks, is put together in a 

 single day, and that the young are hatched in sixteen days; 

 both male and female assisting in making the nest, the 

 former bringing the materials, and the latter arranging them, 

 and also in the work of incubation. 



The egg, for only one is laid, is pure white. 



Male; length, one foot five inches; bill, orange colour; iris, 

 pale yellow. Head on the sides and crown, bluish grey; 



