580 AVES—PIGEON. 
forests direetly on the east of me. Yet not a single bird would alight; for 
not a nut or acorn was that year to be seen in the neighborhood. They 
consequently flew so high, that different trials to reach them with a capital 
rifle proved ineffectual, and not even the report disturbed them in the least. 
But I cannot describe how beautiful their aerial evolutions were, if a black 
hawk appeared in their rear. At once, like a torrent, and with a thunder- 
like noise, they formed themselves into almost a solid compact mass, press- 
ing each on-each towards the centre ; and when, in such solid bodies, they 
zigzagged to escape the murderous falcon, now down close over the earth 
sweeping with inconceivable velocity, then ascending perpendicularly, like a 
vast monument; and, when high, were seen wheeling and twisting within 
their continued lines, resembling the coils of a gigantic serpent. 
“‘ Before sunset I reached Louisville, distant from Hardenburgh fifty-five 
miles, where the pigeons were still passing, and this continued for three 
days in succession. 
“The people were indeed all up in arms, and shouting on all sides at the 
passing flocks. The banks of the river were crowned with men and chil- 
dren, for here the pigeons flew rather low as they passed the Ohio. This 
gave a fair opportunity to destroy them in great numbers. For a week or 
more, the population spoke of nothing but pigeons, and fed on no other flesh 
but that of pigeons. The whole atmosphere during this time was strongly 
impregnated with the smell appertaining to their species. 
“Tt is extremely curious to see flocks after flocks follow exactly the very 
evolutions performed by a preceding one, when they arrive at the place 
where these manceuvres were displayed. If a hawk, for instance, has chanc- 
ed to charge on a portion at a certain spot, no matter what the zigzags, 
curved lines, or undulations of lines might have been during the affray, all 
the following birds always keep the same track; so that if the traveller hap- 
pens to see one of those attacks, and feels a wish to have it repeated, he 
may do so by waiting for a short time. 
“Tt may not, perhaps, be out of place to attempt an estimate of the num- 
ber of pigeons contained in those mighty flocks, and the quantity of: food 
consumed by its members. The inquiry will show the astonishing bounty 
of the Creator in his works, and how universally this bounty has been 
granted to every living thing on the vast continent of America. 
“ We shall take, for example, a column of one mile in breadth, which is far 
below the average size, and suppose it passing over us without interruption 
for three hours, at the rate mentioned above, of one mile per minute. This 
will give us a parallelogram of one hundred and eighty miles by one, covering 
one hundred and eighty square miles, and allowing two pigeons to the square 
yard, we have one billion one hundred and fifteen million one hundred and 
thirty-six thousand pigeons in one flock ; and as every pigeon consumes fully 
half a pint of food per day, the quantity must be eight million seven hundred 
and twelve thousand bushels per day, which is required to feed such a flock. 
