32 DARWINISM chap. 



under these flying and fluttering millions, from the frequent 

 fall of large branches, broken down by the weight of the 

 multitudes above, and which in their descent often destroyed 

 numbers of the birds themselves ; while the clothes of those 

 engaged in traversing the woods were completely covered 

 with the excrements of the pigeons. 



" These circumstances were related to me by many of the 

 most respectable part of the community in that quarter, and 

 were confirmed in part by what I myself witnessed. I passed 

 for several miles through this same breeding-place, where 

 every tree was spotted with nests, the remains of those above 

 described. In many instances I counted upwards of ninety 

 nests on a single tree ; but the pigeons had abandoned this 

 place for another, 60 or 80 miles off, towards Green 

 Eiver, where they were said at that time to be equally 

 numerous. From the great numbers that were constantly 

 passing over our heads to or from that quarter, I had no 

 doubt of the truth of this statement. The mast had been 

 chiefly consumed in Kentucky; and the pigeons, every morn- 

 ing a little before sunrise, set out for the Indiana territory, 

 the nearest part of which was about sixty miles distant. 

 Many of these returned before ten o'clock, and the great body 

 generally appeared on their return a little after noon. I had 

 left the public road to visit the remains of the breeding-place 

 near Shelbyville, and was traversing the woods with my gun, 

 on my way to Frankfort, when about ten o'clock the pigeons 

 which I had observed flying the greater part of the morning 

 northerly, began to return in such immense numbers as I never 

 before had witnessed. Coming to an opening by the side of 

 a creek, where I had a more uninterrupted view, I was 

 astonished at their appearance : they were flying with great 

 steadiness and rapidity, at a height beyond gunshot, in 

 several strata deep, and so close together that, could shot 

 have reached them, one discharge could not have failed to 

 bring down several individuals. From right to left, as far as 

 the eye could reach, the breadth of this vast procession ex- 

 tended, seeming everywhere equally crowded. Curious to 

 determine how long this appearance would continue, I took 

 out my watch to note the time, and sat down to observe them. 

 It was then half-past one ; I sat for more than an hour, but 



