THE PASSENGER PIGEON. 



235 



PASSENGER PIGEONS. 



that, lie says, the bishop had been compelled more than once formally 



to exorcise them, on account of the damage they committed. Many 



of the trees are 



said to have had 



more Pigeons on 



them than leaves; 



and for eighteen or 



twenty days, it was 



supposed that a 



sufficient number 



might have been 



killed to supply 



food for a thousand 



men. 



Mr. Weld who 



some years ago 

 travelled through 

 the States of North 

 America, informs 

 us that a gentle- 

 man of the town of 

 Niagara assured 

 him, that once when he was embarking on board a vessel from Toronto 

 a flight of Pigeons was observed coming from that quarter ; that, as he 

 sailed over the lake Ontario to Toronto, forty miles distant from Niagara, 

 Pigeons were seen flying over-head, the whole way, in a direction 

 contrary to that in which the vessel proceeded ; and that, on his arriving 

 at the place of his destination, the birds were still observed coming 

 from the North, in as large bodies as had been noticed at any time 

 during the voyage. Supposing, therefore, that the Pigeons moved no 

 faster than the vessel, the flight, according to this gentleman's account, 

 must have exceeded at least eighty miles. 



During their migrations, these Pigeons are very fat. It is a singular 

 fact, that Mr. St. John found in 

 the craw of one of them some 

 undigested rice, when the nearest 

 rice-fields were at least five hun- 

 dred and sixty miles from his 

 habitation. He naturally con- 

 cluded that either they must fly 

 with almost the celerity of the 

 wind, or that digestion must be 

 in a great measure suspended 

 during their flight. 



The Indians often watch the 

 roost ing-places of these birds ; 

 and, knocking them on the head 

 in the night, bring them away by 

 thousands. They preserve the oil, or fat, which they use instead of 

 butter. 



GROUP OF WILD PIGEONS. 



