BIRDS OF PENNSYLVANIA. Ill 



GENUS BCTOPISTES SWAINSON. 

 Ectopistes migratorius ( LINN. ) . 



Passenger Pigeon ; Wild Pigeon. 



DESCRIPTION {Plate 71). 



Length (depends on development of tail) about 14 inches ; extent, about 25 ; tail 

 has 12 feathers ; bill black ; legs purplish red ; iris red ; upper parts including chin, 

 throat and all of head blue ; lower parts brownish-red, fading on belly and white on 

 crissum and under part of tail ; sides and back of neck glossed with rich reddish- 

 purple. The female and young much duller in color, and female is much smaller 

 than male. 



Habitat. Eastern North America, from Hudson's Bay southward, and west to the 

 great plains, straggling westward to Nevada and Washington Territory. 



Wild Pig-eons about eight or ten years ago were found in great num- 

 bers in Elk, Forest, Warren, McKean, Potter and Cameron counties. In 

 the region about Emporium, Cameron county, and near Kane, McKean 

 county, immense quantities of these birds were killed, packed in barrels, 

 and snipped in car loads, to the New York market. Mr. M. M. Larrabee, 

 of Emporium, who frequently visited their nesting places or roosts in 

 the localities above mentioned, says that they often covered an area of 

 several miles in the depths of the forests. 



The Wild Pigeon is now found in most parts of the state as a migrant, 

 but a few of these birds breed more or less regularly in different parts 

 of the commonwealth. During the last five or six years when seen here, 

 usually only single pairs, or very small flocks, have been observed nest- 

 ing, and we never see large flights of pigeons anywhere in the state as 

 in former years. In the fall of 1884, 1 saw about three hundred pigeons, 

 which was the largest flock I have ever observed in the state. A hunter, 

 residing in Potter county, told me he found, in 1888, in the northern 

 part of Cameron county, a flock of about one hundred, which he thought 

 were breeding in that locality. Reports which I have received through 

 the kindness of the following named gentlemen will suffice to show the 

 present status of the Passenger Pigeon in Pennsylvania : About 1870 

 were very abundant ; now very rare ; have only seen one in ten years 

 James S. Nease, Washington county : Occasional visitor, March or April, 

 1883, a flock of fifteen or twenty George B. Perry, S usquehanna county : 

 Hare ; a few breed here H. L. Greenland, Warren county : The pigeon 

 has nested within the last ten years three times on Potato creek, near 

 Smethport, McKean county, but do not think they have been there for 

 three or four years past James A. Teuton (letter July, 1889), McKean 

 county : Rare migrant J. L. Camp, Bradford county : Straggler R. 

 C. Wrenshall, Allegheny county : Breeds very sparingly in a few locali- 

 ties in Crawford and Erie counties George B. Sennett, Erie county : A 

 rare visitor N. F. Underwood, Wayne county : Occasional migrant Dr. 



