Ectipistos migratoria. 
1866. 
Aug. 30. 
1870. 
July 1. 
S0pt.2-if) 
1874. 
Jan. 14. 
Apr. 16. 
Sav/’ five flying together (West Ainosbur$,Mass, ). 
Started a young female in beach grass (Muskegat Is¬ 
land , Mass . ). 
Abundant frequenting grain stubbles in large flocks. 
When started they alighted in the dead stubs bordering 
the fields. They were rather tame and extremely grace¬ 
ful in their attitudes. Their flight when passing from 
one tree to another was often slow and labored but when 
bound for some distant point they flew with extraordi¬ 
nary swiftness. Large flocks often alighted in the topf 
of beaches, v/here it was very difficult to see them in 
the dense foliage {Porks of the Kennebec,Maine), 
A professional Pigeon snarer v/hom I met to-day in 
Boston, gave me the following information concerning 
this bird: All the Pigeons in the United States, escep- 
ting a fevr straggling pairs or small communities, collect 
yearly now in one immense breeding colony. If persecu¬ 
ted to an excessive degree the breeding place is deser¬ 
ted and another begun a hundred miles or more distant. 
The largest colony he has over seen, was one which he 
visited in 1872 on the eastern shore of Lka o Michigan. 
It was twenty miles long by six to seven miles in width. 
He believes that the birds are increasing and accounts 
for it by the increase of the supply of cereal food. 
The Boston markets are now overflov/ing with Wild 
Pigeons v/hich are said to come from Missouri, The mar¬ 
ket men obtain perfect eggs from the female birds v/’hich 
they sell to collectors. 
