PASSENGER PIGEON. , 523 



'Of other, in fucceffion, alight on the earth and eat*. The fpecies of 

 food they are fondeft of is the fmall acorn, called the Turkey acorns 

 •it being alfo a favorite food of thofe birds. In Canada they do vaft 

 damage in autumn, by devouring the cofn, before they begin their 

 fouthern flight f. 



They build their nefts in trees, and coo like the Engliflj Wild Nests. 



Pigeon ; and lay two eggs. They breed in the more northern parts, 

 from the country fouth of Moofe Fort, in Hudjon's Bay ij:, to that 

 -between Fort Frederick and Fort Anne, and the woods about the 

 river Onandago ||. During the time of incubation and nutrition, 

 they feed firft on the feeds of the § red maple, which ripens in May-, 

 ^nd after that, on thofe of the elm %. It appears by thofe accurate 

 obfervers, Mr, Bartram and Mr. Kalm, that they continue in their 

 breeding-places till the middle at left of July: the firft having 

 feen them in June-, the laft, the 19th of July. Mr. Hutchins aflures 

 me, that they continue in the inland parts of Hudfon's Bay till Dc^ 

 eember ; and when the ground is covered with fnow, feed on the 

 buds of juniper. 



As foon as thefe birds find a want of food, they colledl in vaft Migrations. 

 flocks, and migrate to fuch places as are likely to fupply them with 

 fubfiftence. The multitudes which appear during the rigorous fea:* Vast numbers. 

 fons are fo immenfe, that the mention of them, iJnlefs fupported by 

 good authority, would feem incredible. They fly by millions in a 

 flock; and in their pafTage literally intercept the light of the fun for 

 a confiderable fpace. As foon as one flock has pafl^ed, another fuc- 

 ceeds, each taking a quarter of an hour before the whole flock is 

 gone. This continues, in fome feafons, for three days without any 

 internniflion **. 



The inhabitants of New Tork and Pemfylvania arc frequent wit- 

 neflfes of the phenomenon, and kill numbers of thefe migrants from 



• Du Pratx. t The fame. % Ph. Tr. Ixii. 39S. || Bartram's 



Journey to Onandago, ■^6..^--Kalm's Tra'veh, ii. 311. § Ac2r Rubrum, Lin. 



'^-Catejby, i. 62. f Ulmus Americana, Lin. ** Calefy. 



T t 2 their 



