194 The Passenger Pigeon 



these gentlemen, and I have to tender them all my sin- 

 cere thanks, as well as that of the scientific world, for 

 the ready responses and the conciseness of the informa- 

 tion received. 



One of the earliest residents of Portage la Prairie, 

 Mr. George A. Garrioch, informs me : 



"I was born in Manitoba and came to Portage la 

 Prairie about 1853. I was then only about six years 

 old, and as far back as I can remember pigeons were 

 very numerous. 



"They passed over every spring, usually during the 

 mornings, in very large flocks, following each other in 

 rapid succession. 



"I do not think they bred in any numbers in the 

 province, as I only remember seeing one nest; this con- 

 tained two eggs. 



"The birds, to my recollection, were most numerous 

 in the fifties, and the decline was noticed in the later 

 sixties and continued until the early eighties, when they 

 disappeared. I have observed none since until last year, 

 when I am positive I saw a single male bird south of the 

 town of Portage la Prairie." 



Mr. Angus Sutherland of Winnipeg, in reply to my 

 interrogation, states: 



"I was born in the present city of Winnipeg and have 

 lived here over fifty years. The wild pigeons were very 

 numerous in my boyhood. They frequented the mixed 

 woods about the city, and while undoubtedly many birds 



