COLUMHID.E — THE PIGEONS. 371 



plied Avith mast, tlii'y ily low in order to discovfr the part most ploiitil'uUy 

 su])plie(l. 



8bvuriil writers, who have witnessed the occasionally i-normons ili<,dits of 

 these I'igeons, lia\ e j^iven very full and •i,rai)hic accounts of their inunense 

 ninnl)ers that seem hardly credil)le to those who have not seen them. 

 Mr. Aiiduhon relates that in IHlo, on his way iVom Jlendersou to Louisville, 

 in crossing tl'e barrens near Hardenslmrg, he observed these birds Hying to 

 the southwest in greater numbers than he had ever known before. lie 

 attempted to count the dilferent ilocks as lliey .successively pas.sed, but afler 

 counting one hundred and sixty-three in twenty-one minutes he gi>ve it \ip 

 as imjiracticable. As he journeyed on, their numbers siemed to increase. 

 The air seemed filled with I'igeons, and the light ol' noonday to be obscured 

 as by an eclipse. Not a single bird aliglited, as tlie woods were destitute of 

 mast, and all Hew so high that he faih'd to reach any with a rille. Jle sjjeaks 

 of their aerial evolutions as beautifid in the extreme, especially when a Hawk 

 pressed upon the rear (jf a Hock. All at once, like a torrent, and with a 

 noise like that of thunder, tluy rushed together into a compact mass, and 

 darted forward in undulating lines, descending and sweeping near the earth 

 with marvellous velocity, then mounting almost ])eip('ndicularly in a vast 

 colunni, wheeling and twisting so tliat their continued lines seemed to re- 

 .senible the coils of a gigantic serpent. During the whole of his journey 

 from Hardcn.sburg t(j Louisville, fifty-five miles, they continucid to i)ass in 

 undiminished nnmliers, luid also did so during ihe thret; following days. At 

 times they Hew so low that multitudes were ilestroyed, and for many days 

 the entire popidatiou seemed to eat nothing else but I'igeons. 



AVhen a Hight of Tigoons discoveis an abundant supply of food, suflicient 

 to induce them to alight, they are saitl to jia-ss around in cindes over the 

 jilace, making vaiious evolutions, after a while jiassing lower over the woods, 

 and at length alighting; then, as if smhlenly ahirmed, taking to flight, only 

 to return immediately. These manceuvres are rep-ated with various indica- 

 tions of indecision in their niovemcnt.s, or as if apprehensive of unseen 

 danger.s. During these nianceuvres tlie HaiJjiing of their many thousand 

 wings causes a revcrbeiation suggestive of distant thunder. When at last 

 settled n])on the ground, they industriously search among the fallen leaves 

 for the acorns and the lieech-mast, the rear Hoc' mtinually rising, ])assing 

 over the main l>ody, and realighting. Tiie.se changes are so frequent that at 

 times the wlmle collection appears to be in motion. A largo extent of 

 ground is thus ideared in a sur[)risingly short space of time, and cleared with 

 a comjileteness that is descrilied as incredible. They are usually satiated by 

 the middle of the day, and ascend to the trees to rest and digest their food. 

 On these occasions the Pigeons are destroyed in innnense number.s, and 

 their abuiuhuuH! in large extents of the country has been very sensibly 

 reilnced. 



In its movements on tlie ground, as also when alighted on the branches 



