300 
COLUMBA MIGRATORXA. 
approach, with such ease and elegance of evolution, 
forming new figures, and varying these as they united 
or separated, that I was never tired of contemplating 
them. Sometimes a hawk would make a sweep on a 
particular part of the column, from a great height, 
when, almost as quick as lightning, that part shot 
downwards out of the common track ; hut, soon rising 
again, continued advancing at the same height as before. 
This inflection was continued by those behind, who, 
on arriving at this point dived down, almost perpendi- 
cularly, to a great depth, and rising', followed the exact 
path of those that went before. As these vast bodies 
passed over the river near me, the surface of the water, 
which was before smooth as glass, appeared marked 
with innumerable dimples, occasioned by the dropping 
of their dung, resembling the commencement of a shower 
of large drops of rain or hail. 
Happening to go ashore one charming afternoon, to 
purchase some milk at a house that stood near the 
river, and while talking with the people within doors, 
I was suddenly struck with astonishment at a loud 
rushing roar, succeeded by instant darkness, which, on 
the first moment, I took for a tornado, about to over- 
whelm the house and every thing around in destruction. 
The people, observing my surprise, coolly said, “ It is 
only the pigeons ; ” and, on running out, I beheld a 
flock, thirty or forty yards in width, sweeping along 
very low, between the house and the mountain, or 
height, that formed the second bank of the river. These 
continued passing for more than a quarter of an hour, 
and at length varied their bearing, so as to pass over 
the mountain, behind which they disappeared before 
the rear came up. 
In the Atlantic States, though they never appear in 
such unparalleled multitudes, they are sometimes very 
numerous ; and great havoc is then made amongst them 
with the gun, the clap net, and various other implements 
of destruction. As soon as it is ascertained in a town 
that the pigeons are flying numerously in the neighbour- 
hood, the gunners rise en masse ; the clap nets are 
