234 



THE PA-SSENGER PIGEON. 



THE PASSENGER PIGEON. 



the warmer provinces yield in vast abundance. "When they alight, 

 the ground is quickly cleared of all esculent fruits ; to the great injury 



of the Hog, and 

 other mast-eating 

 animals. After 

 having devoured 

 every thing that has 

 fallen on the sur- 

 face, they form 

 themselves into a 

 great perpendicular 

 column, and fly 

 around the boughs 

 of trees, from top 

 to bottom, beating 

 down the acorns 

 with their wings ; 

 and they then, in 

 succession, alight 

 on the ground, and 

 again begin to eat. 

 " I think," says Mr. Blackburne, in a letter to Mr. Pennant, " that 

 these are as remarkable birds as any in America. They are in vast 

 numbers in all parts ; and have, at times, been of great service to our 

 garrisons, in supplying them with fresh meat, especially at the outposts. 

 .A friend told me, that in the year in which Quebec was taken, the 

 whole army was supplied with this subsistence. The way was this. 

 Every man took his club, (for they were forbidden to use their firelocks,) 

 and the Pigeons flew in such numbers, that each person could kill as 

 many as he wanted. They in general begin to fly soon after day -break, 

 and continue till nine or ten o'clock ; and again about three in the 

 afternoon and continue till five or six ; but what is very remarkable, 

 their course is always westerly. The times of flying here are in the 

 spring, about the latter end of February or the beginning of March, 

 and they continue their flight every day for eight or ten days ; and 

 again in the fall, when they appear at the latter end of July or the 

 beginning of August. The inhabitants catch vast numbers of them in 

 clap-nets. I have seen them brought to the market at New York by 

 sacksful. People in general are very fond of them, and I have heard 

 many say that they think them as good as our common blue Pigeon : 

 but I cannot agree in this opinion : the flesh tastes most like that of 

 our Queest, or wild Pigeon, but it is better. Sir William Johnston 

 told me, that at one shot, with a blunderbuss, he killed above a hundred 

 and twenty. I must remark a singular fact : that notwithstanding the 

 whole people of a town go out a pigeoning, as they call it, they do not 

 on some days, kill "a single hen bird ; and on the very next day not a 

 single cock ; (and yet both sexes always fly westerly ;) and when this 

 ia the case, the people are always assured that there will be a great 

 quantity of them that season." 



These Pigeons were so numerous when La Hontan was in Canada, 



