170 The Passenger Pigeon 



their eggs. This takes place only three or four days 

 after they commence nesting, as a pigeon's nest is the 

 simplest nest ever built by a bird seen in a tree. It con- 

 sists of a few little twigs laid crosswise, without moss 

 pr lining of any kind, and the lay of eggs is but one. 

 As soon as one egg is laid, they commence sitting, and 

 the male pigeon is quite a gentleman in his way, taking 

 his turn and sitting one-half of the time. 



In about twelve or fourteen days — some claim twenty 

 — the young pigeon is hatched. As soon as hatched 

 the male and female birds commence feeding on what 

 is known as marsh feed, that is, on low, springy ground. 

 And from this feed is supplied to both the male and 

 female bird what is known as pigeon's milk, forming 

 inside of the crop a sort of curd, on which the young 

 pigeon is fed by both father and mother, who supply 

 this food. The young bird is gorged with this food, 

 and in a few days becomes as heavy as the parent 

 bird. Another singular thing about the wild pigeon 

 is that as the snow melts and the ground is left bare 

 where the nesting is, the old birds never eat the nuts 

 in the nesting, but leave them for the benefit of the 

 young one, and so when he comes off the nest he al- 

 ways finds an abundance of food at his very door, as 

 it were. As soon as the young birds are able to leave 

 the nest and begin feeding on the ground in the 

 nesting, the old birds immediately forsake them, move 

 again on to the borders of the snow and start another 



