72 The Passenger Pigeon 



five nights a self-registering thermometer, hanging in 

 the aviary, marked from 14° to 10°. In spite of these 

 drawbacks both of the eggs were hatched and the young 

 ones reared. They have since continued to breed regu- 

 larly, and now I have twenty birds, having lost several 

 eggs from falling through their illy-contrived nests 

 and one old male." 



The Passenger Pigeon has been found nesting in 

 Wisconsin and Iowa during the first week in April, 

 and as late as June 5 and 1 2 in Connecticut and Minne- 

 sota. Their food consists of beech nuts, acorns, wild 

 cherries, and berries of various kinds, as well as different 

 kinds of grain. They are said to be very fond of, and 

 feed extensively on, angle worms, vast numbers of 

 which frequently come to the surface after heavy rains, 

 also on hairless caterpillars. 



Their movements, at all seasons, seem to be very 

 irregular, and are greatly affected by the food supply. 

 They may be exceedingly common at one point one 

 year, and almost entirely wanting the next. They gen- 

 erally winter south of latitude 36°. 



Their notes during the mating season are said to be 

 a short "coo-coo," and the ordinary call note is a "kee- 

 kee-kee," the first syllable being louder and the last 

 fainter than the middle one. 



Opinions differ as to the number of broods in a sea- 

 son; while the majority of observers assert that but one, 

 a few others say that two, are usually raised. The eggs 



