CLASS II. AVES; ORDER 4. COLUMBJE. 
231 
of one hundred nests were found. It was dangerous to walk under these flyiug 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." 
On another occasion* the writer of these pages has treated of this subject as follows : " The 
story told by Wilson and Audu- 
bon as to the amazing quantity 
of pigeons in the West, was re- 
alized by us in Connecticut half 
a century ago. I have seen a 
stream of these noble birds, pour- 
ing at brief intervals through 
the skies, from the rising to the 
setting sun, and this in the 
county of Fairfield. I may here 
add, that of all the pigeon tribe 
— ^this of our country — the pas- 
senger pigeon is the swiftest 
and most beautiful of a swift 
and beautiful generation. At 
the same time, it is unquestion- 
ably superior to any other for 
the table. All the other species 
of the eastern, as well as the 
western continent, which I have 
tasted are soft and flavorless in 
comparison. 
" I can recollect no spoi'ts of 
my youth which equaled in ex- 
citement our pigeon hunts, gen- 
ei'ally taking place in September 
and October. We usually start- 
ed on horseback before daylight, 
and made a rapid progress to 
some stubble-field on West 
Mountain. The ride in the keen, 
fresh air, especially as the dawn 
began to break, Avas delightful. 
The gradual encroachment of 
day upon the sight filled my 
mind, with snblime images : the 
waking up of a world from sleep, 
the joyousness of birds and 
beasts in the return of morning, 
and my own sympathy in this 
cheerful and grateful homage of the heart to God, the giver of good — all contributed to render 
these adventures most impressive upon my young heart. My memory is still full of the sights and 
sounds of those glorious mornings ; the silvery whistle of the wings of migrating flocks of plover — 
invisible in the gray mists of dawn ; the faint murmur of the distant raomitain torrents ; the so- 
norous gong of the long-traihng flocks of wild geese, seeming to come from the unseen depths of 
V7ILD PIGEOXS. 
* See " Recollections of a Lifetime," 1855. Vol. I., p. 99. 
