THEIR ECONOMIC RELATIONS TO THE ACKICl I LTl IRIST 19 



THE WILD PIGEON. 



A vanished bird. Several reports from various localities in 

 Minnesota have reached the University of the occurrence of this 

 beautiful bird so common j'ears ago, within the confines of the 

 state, but these rumors appear to have arisen either from con- 

 fusing the ]\Iourning- Dove with this species, or to have been 

 fakes, pure and simple. So far, the reward of $1,000 for a pair of 

 these birds nesting has not been claimed. The writer has been, in 

 the past, familiar with the appearance of the Passenger Pigeon 

 at the time when it was extremely abundant in Minnesota and 

 must confess to having been startled a few years ago in traveling 

 by train from Crookston to Bemidji, at catching a momentary 

 glimpse from the car window of two birds in flight amongst the 

 trees, wonderfully resembling in size, color, and shape, the Pas- 

 senger Pigeon of yesterday. No opportunity was afforded, how- 

 ever, to prove this and he dismissed the idea as absurd.* The 



*In this connection it may be noted that Francis L. Palmer of Stillwater, 

 Minn., a student of birds, claims (luite emphatically to haye observed one of 

 these birds on May 31. 1915, near the above named town, which is in the south- 

 eastern part of the state. His observations were published in "Bird Lore" for 

 •luly-Aug-ust, 1915, pa§e 2S9. 



