MIGRATORY PIGEON. 
297 
woods with my gun, on my way to Frankfort, when, 
about one o’clock, the pigeons, which I had observed 
flying the greater part of the morning northerly, began 
to return, in such immense numbers as I never before 
had witnessed. Coming to an opening, by the side of 
a creek called the Benson, where I had a more unin- 
terrupted view, I was astonished at their appearance. 
They were flying, with great steadiness and rapidity, 
at a height beyond gunshot, in several strata deep, and 
so close together, that, could shot have reached them, 
one discharge could not have failed of bringing down 
several individuals. From right to left, far as the eye 
could reach, the breadth of this vast procession extended, 
seeming every where equally crowded. Curious to 
determine how long this appearance would continue, 
I took out my w^atch to note the time, and sat down to 
observe them. It was then half past one. I sat for 
more than an hour, hut, instead of a diminution of this 
prodigious procession, it seemed rather to increase both 
in numbers and rapidity; and, anxious to reach Frank- 
fort before night, I rose and w r ent on. About four 
o’clock in the afternoon I crossed the Kentucky river, 
at the town of Frankfort, at which time the living 
torrent above my head seemed as numerous and as 
extensive as ever. Long after this I observed them, 
in large bodies, that continued to pass for six or eight 
minutes, and these again w r ere followed by other 
detached bodies, all moving in the same southeast 
direction, till after six in the evening. The great breadth 
of front w r hich this mighty multitude preserved would 
seem to intimate a corresponding breadth of their 
breeding place, which, by several gentlemen, who had 
lately passed through part of it, w r as stated to me ht 
several miles. It was said to he in Green county, and 
that the young began to fly about the middle of March. 
On the 17th of April, forty-nine miles beyond Danville, 
and not far from Green River, I crossed this same 
breeding place, wdiere the nests, for more than three 
miles, spotted every tree ; the leaves not being yet out, 
I had a fair prospect of them, and was really astonished 
