156 The Passenger Pigeon 



There is a certain magazine that offers $50 for a pair 

 v/ of wild pigeons, and I think the sportsmen would add 



another $50 to it to have the wild pigeons with us 

 again. 



In the report of the Massachusetts commissioners on 

 fisheries and game for the year ending December 31, 

 1903, is to be found the following: 



The occurrence of the wild pigeon is a matter of 

 public and scientific interest, and for this reason, and not 

 because it is a game bird, reference to it is introduced 

 here. Deputy Samuel Parker, who is perfectly familiar 

 with the wild pigeon, makes mention of its appearance 

 V at Wakefield this year as follows: "In September a 

 flock of wild pigeons, twenty-five or thirty in number, 

 came over Crystal Lake." This notice of the presence 

 of a species believed to be extinct is interesting and must 

 be important to ornithologists.* 



George King, guide and trapper, living in Otsego 

 County, Michigan, told me in 1904 that four years be- 

 fore he had seen along Black River a flock of wild 

 pigeons, a dozen or more birds. He said there is no 

 mistake about it, because he was familiar with the wild 

 pigeon early in life. These alighted in a tree near him. 

 He said that in 1902, also, he heard the call of two 

 wild pigeons, although he hunted for the birds and did 

 not find them. 



I believe that six wild pigeons were actually seen ia 



* I believe that this informant was mistaken — W. B. M. 



