THE PASSENGER PIGEON 189 



CHAPTER X. 



INSESSORES: PULLASTR^. 

 CURSORES: GALLINJS. 



PIGEONS GREAT FLIOHT OP PIOEONS, BY " AUDUBON " 



TURTLE DOVE "WILD TURKEY AMERICAN AND GAMBLE'S 



PARTRIDGE CANADA, RUFFLED. AND PINNATED GROUSE 



PTARMIGAN. 



The natural division of Birds called Pullastrae 

 embraces the Doves and Pigeons, the Australian 

 Brush Turkey, the extinct Dodo, etc. 



Of all the diiferent members belonging to these 

 several groups, by far the most interesting is the 

 Passenger, or common Wild Pigeon. It is possessed 

 of some of the most singular habits which we have 

 yet had occasion to notice in any bird. It is gifted 

 with the most astonishing powers of flight, both as 

 respects speed and continuance, one mile in a minute 

 being considered as the average rate at which it trav- 

 els, and this often for many hours together. But 

 the most remarkable characteristic of these curious 

 and interesting birds, is their habit of congregating 

 together at all seasons of the year, and in such num- 

 bers as we believe have no parallel among all the 

 feathered tribes of the earth. During the period of 

 incubation their nests will occupy almost every avail- 

 able spot in a tract of woodland many miles in ex- 



