PASSENGER PIGEON. 
323 
pressing 1 upon each other towards the centre. In these 
almost solid masses, they darted forward in undulating 
and angular lines, descended and swept close over the 
earth with inconceivable velocity, mounted perpendi- 
cularly, so as to resemble a vast column, and, when 
high, were seen wheeling and twisting within their 
continued lines, which then resembled the coils of a 
gigantic serpent.” Before sunset, Audubon reached 
Louisville, distant from Hardensburgh 55 miles ; the 
pigeons were still passing in un diminished numbers, 
and continued to do so for three days in succession. 
Audubon attempts to reckon the number of pigeons 
in one of these flocks, and the daily quantity of food 
consumed by it. He takes, as an example, a column 
of one mile in breadth, and supposes it passing over 
us, without interruption, for three hours, at the 
rate of one mile per minute. This will give us a 
parallelogram of 180 miles by 1, averaging 180 square 
miles ; and, allowing two pigeons to the square yard, 
we have one billion one hundred and fifteen millions 
one hundred and thirty-six thousand pigeons in one 
flock : and, as every pigeon consumes fully half a pint 
per day, the quantity required to feed such a flock 
must be eight millions seven hundred and twelve 
thousand bushels per day. Audubon thus describes 
the appearance of the pigeons at one of their roosting 
places: — The sun was lost to our view, yet not a 
pigeon had arrived ; but, suddenly, there burst forth 
a general cry of, c Here they come /’ The noise which 
they made, though yet distant, reminded me of a hard 
gale at sea, passing through the rigging of a close, reefed 
vessel. As the birds arrived, and passed over me, I felt 
a current of air that surprised me. Thousands were 
soon knocked down by the men provided with poles. 
The current of birds, however, kept still increasing. 
The fires were lighted, and a most magnificent, as well 
as a wonderful and terrifying sight, presented itself. 
The pigeons, coming in by thousands, alighted every 
where, one above another, until solid masses of them. 
