Early Naturalists 23 







hardship and exposure incurred while seeking the birds he 

 loved so well. 



To the careful observation of the scientist, Wilson joined 

 the literary enthusiasm of poet and nature lover. His account 

 of the passenger pigeon is full of fascinating interest. 



"In descending the Ohio by myself in the month of Feb- 

 ruary, I often rested on my oars to contemplate their aerial 

 mano3uvres. A column eight or ten miles in length would 

 appear from Kentucky, high in air, steering across to Indiana. 

 The leaders of this great body would sometimes gradually 

 vary their course, until it formed a large bend of more than 

 a mile in diameter, those behind tracing the exact route of 

 their predecessors. This would continue sometimes long after 

 both extremities were beyond the reach of sight; so that the 

 whole, with its glittery undulations, marked a space on the 

 face of the heavens resembling the windings of avast and 

 majestic river. When this bend became very great, the birds, 

 as if sensible of the unnecessary circuitous course they were 

 taking, suddenly changed their direction; so that what was 

 in column before became an immense front, straightening all 

 its indentures until it swept the heavens in one vast and in- 

 finitely extended line. Other lesser bodies also united with 

 each other as they happened to approach, with such ease and 

 elegance of evolution, forming new figures, and varying these 

 as they united or separated, that I was never tired of contem- 

 plating them. Sometimes a hawk would make a sweep on a 

 particular part of the column, from a great height, when 

 almost as quick as lightning that part shot downwards out 

 of the common track ; but soon rising again, continued advanc- 

 ing at the same height as before. This inflection was con- 

 tinued by those behind, who on arriving at this point dived 

 down almost perpendicularly to a great depth, and rising, 

 followed the exact path of those that went before. As these 

 vast bodies passed over the river near me, the surface of the 

 water, which was before smooth as glass, appeared marked 

 with innumerable dimples, occasioned by the dropping of their 

 dung, resembling the commencement of a shower of large 

 drops of rain or hail. 



''Happening to go ashore one charming afternoon to pur- 

 chase some milk at a house that stood near the river, and while 

 talking with the people within doors, I was suddenly struck 

 with astonishment at a loud rushing roar, succeeded by in- 

 stant darkness; which on the first moment I took for a tor- 

 nado, about to overwhelm the house and everything around 

 in destruction. The people, observing my surprise, coolly 

 said, ' It is only the pigeons ; ' and on running out, I beheld a 

 flock thirty or forty yards in width sweeping along very low, 



