﻿66a P I G E O N. 



throat, hind part of the neck, back, rump, and upper tail coverts, 

 cinereous : the wing coverts are the fame, but marked with fome 

 black fpots : fides of the neck of a glofiy variable purple colour : 

 the fore part of the neck and breaft vinaceous : belly, fides, 

 thighs, and under tail coverts, the fame, but paler : quills black 

 brown, with whitiih edges : the tail pretty long; the two middle 

 feathers blackifli brown ; the reft hoary : the legs are red ; and 

 the claws black. 

 Place anb This bird inhabits North America^ but more efpecially be- 



Manners. tween 20 and 60 degrees of latitude; pafilng the fummer in the 

 northern parts, and retiring to the more fouthern provinces at the 

 approach of winter. Thefe are called at Moofe Fort and Severn 

 river, Wood Pigeons. They build in trees ; lay two eggs, like 

 thofe of other Pigeons ; and are reckoned good eating. One 

 •can fcarce conceive in what prodigious flocks they are feen in 

 their pafiage from one part to the other ; often in firings of two 

 miles long, and a quarter of a mile in breadth ; and during their 

 paffing over any place, they quite darken the air. Frequently 

 alight on trees, and fometimes in fuch immenfe numbers as to 

 break down pretty ftrong branches. The people at Philadelphia 

 fhoot them from the tops of their houfes ; and in N-ew England 

 they are knocked down from their roofts in great numbers, 

 of evenings; which it is not difficult to do, as they are either 

 very tame at the time, or much fatigued * ; and the common 

 people, during flight-time, chiefly fubfiit on them. 



The 



* They have alfo another way of catching them in Louijiana, "- A party of 

 five or fix go in the evening into the woods ; and, taking with them feveral 

 difties or other flat vefl'els, they fet brimjlone on fire in thefe, under fuch trees as 

 the birds are fondeft of roofting on the fmoke of which fo flupefies them, as to 



r oblige 



