
be seen here in great numbers. 
NATURAL HISTORY. 
HAVE THE PIGEONS REALLY COME BACK? 
Ab ut the middle of April several residents of the 
village of Lime Ridge, Wis., were treated to a sight 
that recalied the spring days of 20 years ago. A 
flock ot pigeons passed over guing north—so long that 
the first of the flock was out of sight before the rear 
had passed. Among those who saw the flock was 
Postmaster Brenizer, and others of the oldsettlers 
who know a pigeon when they see it. ‘I hey are all 
positive that they were the genuine American passen- 
ger pigeon. 
lf this be true, and there seems no reason to doubt 
it, it will create interest throughout the country. For 
14 years these birds have been supposed to be extinct, 
and those interested in collecting specimens of the 
birds of the country have been unable to secure a sin- 
giespecimen. Until 20 years agoyigeons were numer- 
ous; then they disappeared. During the winters they 
gatliered in great flocks in their Southern haunts, and 
were killed in large numbers. During the sprin, they 
came to the North, were found in great flocks at their 
nesting grounds, and were again ruthlessly slaughter- 
ed. Inthe fall before they went South they were for 
several weeks the principal game bird in many sec- 
tions. It was therefore generally believed, when the 
disappeared, that they had been all killed off; ehhh 
some claimed they gathered one winter in a great flock 
onthe Eastern sea shore, that they had been swept 
out to sea, and had perished in a severe storm. 
Others asserted that an infectious disease had des- 
troyed them. 
However this may be, they have nut been seen in 
any large number since; but they have not become 
extinct. The writer saw 3 at Camp Douglas, 8 years 
ago this spring—a male and two females —and refrain- 
ed from shooting them, though they could probably 
all have been killed at one shot, as they perched on 
the limb of a tree, billing and cooing in their loving 
way. Others have repouted seeing small numbers 
around Reedsburg in later years, and it is hoped they 
have increased until flocks that would hide the sun 
will again be a common sight in Wisconsin every 
spring. 
The shooting of pigeons should be strictly prohibited 
North and South tor a team of years, with severe 
penalty for violation.—Reedsburg, Wis., Paper. 
I wrote you yesterday, in answer to your 
inquiry about pigeons having been seen 
here. I had intended to write you before, 
but was waiting to see other men and toa 
learn exact date and data. I have now 
heard of another flock. It is reported thar 
a small flock, (estimated at 30 to 50) was 
seen flying North on May Ist, by a gang of 
30 men, who were double tracking the road 
bed of the C. & N.-W. Ry., about 7 miles 
Southeast of Reedsburg. The birds pass- 
ed nearly over the men. They were first 
seen by Ed. Vayette, who called the at- 
tention of his fellow workmen to them, and 
all agreed that they were “the old-fash- 
ioned” wild pigeons that were formeriy 10 
I have 
talked with 3 of the men who saw the flock. 
and it seems improbable that all could 
be mistaken. I am therefore inclined to 
credit the report as being true. 
F. D. Hulburt, M. D., Reedsburg, Wis. 
‘On receipt of the foregoing I wrote Mr. 
55 
W. A. Brenizer, Postmaster at Lime 
Ridge, Wis., and in due time got his reply, 
The pigeons referred to were going East. 
They flew in a string with now and then 
an opening. There were probably over 
100 in each string and the whole flock was 
at least one mile long. It extended as far 
as we could see Another small flock has 
been seen since by other men. 
This is a correct statement of the pigeon 
story, and I have good witnesses to prove 
if. 
W.-H. Brenizer, P. M., Lime: Ridge, 
Wis. 
Another writes as fol- 
lows: 
An employee of Gimbel Bros., this city, 
told me to-day that he recently saw near 
White Fish Bay, a flock of over 1,000 pig- 
eons. He is positive they were the genu- 
ine Passenger Pigeons of old: He says he 
heard from a man at Black River Falls, 
Wis., who says he saw a flock he estimated 
at 200,000. There is no doubt that these 
birds have appeared on their old stamping 
grounds, in their former numbers, and the 
theories that they were extinct seem dis- 
proved. 
Frederick Wahl, 591 
Milwaukee, Wis. 
correspondent 
Frederick street, 
I saw several passenger pigeons last fail 
and am sure I was not mistaken as to their 
identity. 
Geo. Wis. 
Seamans, Reedsburg, 
My brother lives at Lime Ridge. He 
wrote me that the roost there was just as it 
used to be, minus the slaughter of birds. 
Burt Robinson, Washburn, Wis. 
I read RECREATION with a most hearty 
relish for all there is in it—including the ad- 
vertisements. I was down at the old farm 
one mile west of Sullivan, Indiana, on May 
2tst. While out in a field I heard the sound 
of flying birds, and looking up, saw a flock 
of wild pigeons numbering 25 or possibly 
30. ‘They were making for the Northeast 
and seemed in a hurry, now flying low near 
the ground, then rising, they would course 
away until they passed from view. Ilooked 
after them with a feeling next to sadness— 
they seemed so wild and as if fearing that 
they, the last of the myriads of their kind, 
would soon be killed. I have not seen any 
of these birds before for years, and began 

