328 VERTEBRATA. AVES. 



person told me that he once rode furiously into one 

 of these rolling multitudes, and picked up thirteen 

 Pigeons, which had been trampled to death by his 

 horse's feet." * 



The Passenger Pigeon has bred in England. In 

 the year 1832, a pair began a nest on the 25th of 

 April, in the Zoological Gardens, after having been 

 occupied three or four days in selecting a place, 

 which at length they chose in a fir-tree in their in- 

 closure. The female was the architect ; but the 

 most laborious office was performed by the male, in 

 collecting and bringing all the materials, principally 

 sticks and straw. On his arrival with each fresh sup- 

 ply, he carefully alighted on the back of the female, 

 so as not to derange any part of her work. The work 

 was completed in one day ; and on the next morning 

 a single egg was laid, and the female immediately 

 commenced sitting, in which she was relieved at in- 

 tervals by her mate. The young bird was hatched in 

 sixteen days. At about the same time another pair 

 bred in the menagerie of the Earl of Derby, at 

 Knowsley.-f- 



Crax,^ the Curassows. 



America has produced a few valuable additions to 

 our domestic animals, among which not the least im- 

 portant is the tribe now before us ; for, though they 



* Am. Orn., vol. ii., p. 294, et seq. 

 t Proc. Zool. Soc. 1833, p. 10. 

 krazo, to cry out. 



