THE AUK : 
A QUARTERLY JOURNAL OF 
ORNITHOLOGY. 
vol. vi. October, 1889. No. 4 
THE PRESENT STATUS OF THE WILD PIGEON 
(. ECTOPISTES MI GRA TOR I US) AS A BIRD 
OF THE UNITED STATES, WITH SOME 
NOTES ON ITS HABITS. 
BY WILLIAM BREWSTER. 
In the spring of 1888 my friend Captain Bendire wrote me that 
he had received news from a correspondent in central Michigan to 
the effect that Wild Pigeons had arrived therein large numbers 
and were preparing to nest. Acting on this information, I started 
at once, in company with Mr. Jonathan Dwight, Jr., to visit the 
expected ‘nesting’ and learn as much as possible about the habits 
of the breeding birds, as well as to secure specimens of their skins 
and eggs. 
On reaching Cadillac, Michigan, May 8, we found that large 
flocks of Pigeons had passed there late in April, while there were 
reports of similar flights from almost every county in the southern 
part of the State. Although most of the birds had passed on before 
our arrival, the professional Pigeon netters, confident that they 
would finally breed somewhere in the southern peninsula, were 
busily engaged getting their nets and other apparatus in order for 
an extensive campaign against the poor birds. 
We were assured that as soon as the breeding colony became 
established, the fact would be known all over the State, and there 
would be no difficulty in ascertaining its precise location. 
Accordingly we waited at Cadillac about two weeks during which 
