PASSENGER PIGEON. 
207 
51°, and I myself have seen the remains of a large breeding 
place as far south as the country of Chactaws, in lat. 82°. In 
the former of these places they are said to remain until 
December ; from which circumstance, it is evident that they 
are not regular in their migrations, like many other species, 
but rove about, as scarcity of food urges them. Every 
spring, however, as well as fall, more or less of them are 
seen in the neighbourhood of Philadelphia: but it is only 
once in several years that they appear in such formidable 
bodies ; and this commonly when the snows are heavy to the 
north, the winter here more than usually mild, and acorns, &c. 
abundant. 
The Passenger Pigeon is sixteen inches long, and twenty- 
four inches in extent ; bill, black ; nostril, covered by a high 
rounding protuberance ; eye, brilliant fiery orange ; orbit, or 
space surrounding it, purplish flesh coloured skin; head, 
upper part of the neck, and chin, a fine slate blue, lightest 
on the chin ; throat, breast, and sides, as far as the thighs, a 
reddish hazel ; lower part of the neck, and sides of the same, 
resplendent changeable gold, green, and purplish crimson, 
the latter most predominant; the ground colour, slate; the 
plumage of this part is of a peculiar structure, ragged at the 
ends ; belly and vent, white ; lower part of the breast, fading 
into a pale vinaceous red; thighs, the same; legs and feet, 
lake, seamed with white ; back, rump, and tail-coverts, dark 
slate, spotted on the shoulders with a few scattered marks of 
black; the scapulars, tinged with brown; greater coverts, 
light slate ; primaries and secondaries, dull black, the former 
tipt and edged with brownish white ; tail, long, and greatly 
cuneiform, all the feathers tapering towards the point, the two 
middle ones plain deep black, the other five, on each side, 
hoary white, lightest near the tips, deepening into bluish near 
the bases, where each is crossed on the inner vane with a 
broad spot of black, and nearer the root with another of 
ferruginous ; primaries, edged with white ; bastard wing, 
black. 
