323 PASSENGER PIGEON. 



with the rapidity and elegance of the motions exhibited, feel desirous of 

 seeing them repeated, his wishes will be gratified if he only remain in 

 the place imtil the next group comes up. 



' It may not, perhaps, be out of place to attempt an estimate of the 

 -number of Pigeons contained in one of those mighty flocks, and of the 

 quantity of food daily consumed by its members. The inquiry will tend 

 to shew the'astonishing bounty of the great Author of Natvu-e in providing 

 for the wants of his creatures. Let us take 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 in the minute. This will give us a parallelogram of 180 miles 

 by 1 , covering 180 square miles. Allowing two pigeons to the square 

 yard, we have One billion, one hundred and fifteen millions, one hundred 

 and thirty-six thousand pigeons in one flock. As every pigeon daily 

 consumes fully half a pint of food, the quantity necessary for supplying 

 this vast multitude must be eight millions seven hundred and twelve 

 thousand bushels per day. 

 ■" — As soon as the Pigeons discover a sufficiency of food to entice them 

 to alight, they fly round in circles, reviewing the country below. During 

 their evolutions, on such occasions, the dense mass which they form ex- 

 hibits a beautiful appearance, as it changes its direction, now displaying a 

 glistening sheet of azure, when the backs of the birds come simultane- 

 ously into view, and anon, suddenly presenting a mass of rich deep pur- 

 ple. They then pass lower, over the woods, and for a moment are lost 

 among the foliage, but again emerge, and are seen gliding aloft. They 

 now alight, but the next moment, as if suddenly alarmed, they take 

 to wing, producing by the flappings of their wings a noise like the 

 roar of distant thunder, and sweep through the forests to see if danger 

 is near. Hunger, however, soon brings them to the ground. When 

 alighted, they are seen industriously throwing up the withered leaves in 

 quest of the fallen mast. The rear ranks are continually rising, passing 

 over the main-body, and alighting in front, in such rapid succession, that 

 the whole flock seems still on wing. The quantity of ground thus 

 swept is astonishing, and so completely has it been cleared, that the 

 gleaner who might follow in their rear would find his labour completely 

 lost. Whilst feeding, their avidity is at times so great that in attempt- 

 ing to swallow a large acorn or nut, they a,re seen gasping for a long 

 while, as if in the agonies of suffbcation. 



