THE OHIO DISTRICT 219 



until many years have elapsed. Isolated pairs are now 

 frequently met with : this seems never to have been the 

 case formerly. 



The passenger-pigeon comes from the south to breed 

 in the beech woods, and returns thither when that duty 

 is over; but the particular countries whence they come 

 and whither they go are unknown to me. I have never 

 seen these birds in flocks in any parts of America but the 

 districts I have mentioned. I have met with a few in 

 the Southern parts of the States named, but I never saw 

 any in Canada or other parts of the British possessions. 

 The nest is a flimsy construction of straw, scarcely sub- 

 stantial enough to support the eggs. The passenger- 

 pigeons are quarrelsome among themselves, like most 

 other pigeons ; and the cock bird is a great tyrant to his 

 hen and her young. It is he who forces the young to 

 leave the nest — often before they are strong enough to 

 properly look after themselves. In the struggles which 

 take place many eggs are broken or thrown out of the 

 nest. 



The migrations of the passenger-pigeons are always 

 followed by great numbers of hawks and owls, which 

 prey freely on them ; and many also fall victims to small 

 preying mammals, as raccoons and polecats. It is sur- 

 prising that birds so much persecuted, and laying so 

 small a number as two eggs in a clutch, should propagate 

 in such vast numbers ; and a conclusive piece of evidence 

 that other causes than those usually surmised by men of 

 science are at work to regulate the balance of species. It 

 has been said that the passenger-pigeon is in no immedi- 

 ate danger of extinction. I hold a difi'erent opinion. It 

 is, unfortunately, a fact that towards the conclusion of its 

 existence a species gets wiped out very suddenly. The year 

 before the last bison was destroyed, to my knowledge it 

 was asserted that, though the animal required protection, 

 it was in no immediate danger of disappearing from the 

 prairies. Thirty years ago the passenger-pigeon was still 



