FUTILE PROTECTION OF THE PIGEONS 87 



comprehended three pigeons; the square yards in the whole 

 space multiplied by three would give 230,272,000 Pigeons! 

 An almost inconceivable multitude, and yet probably far be- 

 low the actual amount." 



The range of the Passenger Pigeon covered nearly the 

 whole United States from the Atlantic coast westward 

 to the Rocky Mountains. A few bold Pigeons crossed the 

 Rocky Mountains into Oregon, northern California and Wash- 

 ington, but only as "stragglers," few and far between. The 

 wide range of this bird was worthy of a species that existed 

 in millions, and it was persecuted literally all along the line. 

 The greatest slaughter was in Michigan, Ohio and Pennsyl- 

 vania. In 1848 Massachusetts gravely passed a law pro- 

 tecting the netters of Wild Pigeons from foreign interference! 

 There was a fine of $10 for damaging nets, or frightening 

 Pigeons away from them. This was on the theory that the 

 Pigeons were so abundant they could not by any possibility 

 ever become scarce, and that pigeon-slaughter was a legiti- 

 mate industry. 



In 1867 the state of New York found that the Wild 

 Pigeon needed protection, and enacted a law to that effect. 

 The year 1868 was the last year in which great numbers of 

 Passenger Pigeons nested in that state. Eaton, in "The 

 Birds of New York," said that "millions of birds occupied 

 the timber along Bell's Run, near Ceres, Alleghany County, 

 on the Pennsylvania line." 



In 1870 Massachusetts gave Pigeons protection except 

 during an "open season," and in 1878 Pennsylvania elected 

 to protect Pigeons on their nesting grounds. 



