1889. ] Brewster ox the Present Status of the Wild Pigeon. 259 
are much alarmed by it. Young birds can be netted in wheat stub- 
ble in the autumn, but this is seldom attempted. When just able 
to fly, however, they are caught in enormous numbers near the 
‘nestings’ in pens made of slats. A few dozen old Pigeons are con- 
fined in the pens as decoys, and a net is thrown over the mouth 
of the pen when a sufficient number of young birds have entered 
it. Mr. Stevens has known over four hundred dozen young Pig- 
eons to be taken at once by this method. The first birds sent to 
market yield the netter about one dollar a dozen. At the height 
of the season the price sometimes falls aslow as twelve cents a 
dozen. It averages about twenty-five cents. 
Five weeks are consumed bya single nesting. Then the young 
are forced out of their nests by the old birds. Mr. Stevens has 
twice seen this done. One of the Pigeons, usually the male, pushes 
the young off the nest by force. The latter struggles and squeals 
precisely like a tame squab, but is finally crowded out along the 
branch and after further feeble resistance flutters down to the 
ground. Three or four days elapse before it is able to fly well. 
Upon leaving the nest it is often fatter and heavier than the old 
birds; but it quickly becomes much thinner and lighter, despite 
the enormous quantity of food that it consumes. 
On one occasion an immense flock of young birds became 
bewildered in a fog while crossing Crooked Lake and descending 
struck the water and perished by thousands. The shore for miles 
was covered a foot or more deep with them. The old birds rose 
above the fog, and none were killed. 
At least five hundred men were engaged in netting Pigeons 
during the great Petosky ‘nesting’ of 1881. Mr. Stevens thought 
that they may have captured on the average 20,000 birds apiece 
during the season. Sometimes two car loads were shipped south 
on the railroad each day. Nevertheless he believed that not one 
bird in a thousand was taken. Hawks and Owls often abound 
near the ‘nesting.’ Owls can be heard hooting there all night 
long. The Cooper’s Hawk often catches the stool Pigeon. Dur- 
ing the Petosky season Mr. Stevens lost twelve stool birds in this 
way. . 
There has been much dispute among writers and observers, 
beginning with Audubon and Wilson and extending down to the 
present day, as to whether the Wild Pigeon lays one or two eggs. 
I questioned Mr. Stevens closely on this point. He assured me 
