98 Bird -Lore 



accompanying photographs (which came to Bird-Lore without data as to 

 sex) , I have ventured to state that four of the figures are of male birds and one 

 is an excellent illustration of the female. I have not hazarded a guess as to 

 the sex of the other four adult figures, for they are in postures less distinctive 

 of sex. (In the attitude of alarm, especially, the male and female become very 

 much alike.) 



The courting behavior of this species, as is evident from what has been 

 said about voice and gestures, was very different from the courting behavior 

 of other Pigeons and Doves. Instead of pirouetting before the female, or 

 bowing to her, or running and jumping after her on the ground, the Passen- 

 ger Pigeon sidled up to her on the perch, and pressed her very close; and if 

 she moved a little away from him he sidled up to her again and tried to put 

 his neck over her. 



The male was very jealous of his mate. And when they had a nest he 

 > was a most truculent fellow, attacking any other bird that came into the 

 vicinity. The scenes which resulted were often most amusing. I once saw 

 a male Passenger Pigeon go around the edges of the pen and oust every Pigeon 

 that was sitting alone, mostly Band-tailed Pigeons and Cushats; but he did 

 not attack the dozen or so that were all sitting on one perch. He was not 

 really a good fighter: he made a bold attack, but if the attacked one showed 

 fight, Ectopistes generally retreated. 



The defence of the nest was accompanied, as may be imagined, by a lively 

 chatter of scolding and kecking. The Passenger was one of the most gar- 

 rulous of all the Pigeons in the great aviary. This was naturally connected 

 with the fact of his having chattering notes instead of cooing ones. For a coo 

 is more or less formal, and it cannot be uttered in the midst of all sorts of 

 activity. But the chatter of the Passenger Pigeon was heard on all sorts of 

 occasions, and accompanied nearly everything he did. If he picked up a straw 

 and carried it to the nest, he talked about it while he was searching on the 

 ground for straws, clucked a few times as he flew up, and chattered to his 

 mate as he gave the straw to her. 



I regret to say that I can give no account of the later stages in the breed- 

 ing of this bird, the hatching and rearing of young. For in the year 1903, when 

 I began to study this species, the birds had already lost the power to hatch 

 and rear young. This much may be said, however, that the species continued 

 vociferous throughout a long breeding season, and in some degree throughout 

 the year. In August, when beginning to molt, it of course became more quiet, 

 losing especially the feeble coo and the nest-call. The grand wing exercise 

 also became reduced, for this performance seems to have been not merely a 

 muscular exercise but also a display. Now, some species of Pigeon when they 

 lose their coo, become almost silent. Not so Ectopistes. For the kecking and 

 scolding and chattering continued, though with not quite the same vehemence 

 as in the breeding season, throughout the autumn and winter. This again 



