298 
COLUMBA MIGKATORIA. 
at their numbers. A few bodies of pigeons lingercil 
yet in different parts of the woods, the roaring of whos* 
n ings was heard in various quarters around me. 
All accounts agree in stating, that each nest contaim 
only one young squab. These are so extremely fat, 
that the Indian.s, and many of the whites, are accUS” 
toraed to melt down the fat, for domestic purposes, as a 
substitute for butt(>r and lard. At (he time they leat* 
the nest, they are nearly as heavy as the old ones ; but 
become much leaner, after they are turned out to shift 
for themselve.s. 
It is universally asserted in the western countries, 
that the pigeons, though they have only one young ** 
a time, breed thrice, and sometimes four times, in th® 
same season ; the circumstances already mentiouco 
render this highly probable. It is also worthy uj 
observation, that this takes place during that perio® 
when acorns, beech nuts, &c. are scattered about in tb® 
greatest abundance, and mellowed by the frost. B®* 
they are not confined to these alone, — buckwheat 
hempseed, Indian corn, hollyberries, hackberries, huckl®" 
berries, and many others, furnish them with abuudan®® 
at almost all se.asons. The acorns of the live oa® 
are also eagerly sought after by these birds, and ri®® 
has been frequently found in individuals killed roauf 
hundred miles to the northward of the nearest ri®® 
plantation. The vast quantity of mast which the®® 
multitudes consume is a serious loss to the bear.s, p'r®’ 
squirrels, and other dependants on the fruits of tb® 
forest. I have taken, from the crop of a single n 'l® 
pigeon, a good handful of the kernels of beech 
intermixed with acorns and chestnuts. To form a roug® 
estimate of the daily consumption of one of tbe®® 
immense flocks, let us first attempt to calculate th® 
numbers ot that above mentioned, as seen in nassi 
1. T? ^ rr 
iii'g 
between hrankfort and the Indiana territory: If 
suppose this column to have been one mile in breadt®’ 
(and I believe it to have been much more,) and that ' 
moved at the rate of one mile in a minute, four hoiu®’ 
the time it continued passing, would make its wh®f® 
