May 26, 1906.] 
INA\ 
FOREST AND STREAM. 
AIL RUSTORY 

Fate of the Wild Pigeon. 
Tue fate of the passenger pigeon—once exist- 
ing in North America, but now practically extinct 
—cannot fail to be ever a cause of profound re- 
gret. to every man, woman and child who have a 
knowledge of the relentless slaughter which com- 
passed its destruction, who. have a lively appre- 
ciation of the beautiful in nature, animate and in- 
animate; and who have a feeling of commisera- 
tion for the misfortunes and tragedies of their 
fellow creatures, even though the latter hold rela- 
tively a much humbler place in the scale of or- 
ganic life. This is the sentimental view. It is 
the prevailing view also. It should be honored as 
a manifestation of the best in human nature, dis- 
sociated from all consideration of dollars and 
cents at a time when such consideration is use- 
less. There was an active sentiment long ago 
against the slaughter of the wild pigeon, but it 
never invaded the zone of actual slaughter. 
There also is a practical’ and philosophical 
viewpoint relating to the wild pigeon’s extinction, 
Its manner of life and vast numbers were incom- 
patible with agricultural interests. The two could 
not coexist. It was a bird of the vast wilderness 
exclusively, and when the wilderness ceased to 
exist, the earth had no place for the wild pigeon. 
If the vast numbers were scattered about through 
the agricultural community as are the quail and 
robin and other birds, its consumption would not 
be appreciable or burdensome; but with such vast 
flocks concentrating in certain districts and ravag- 
ing the country for hundreds of miles around, 
what many years ago was a world’s wonder would 
now be an intolerable pest. In view of the en- 
croachments of civilization upon its habitat and 
the hostile conditions therewith, the passing out 
of existence of the wild pigeon was a foregone 
conclusion. It was only a matter of time, but the 
wholesale slaughter hastened the entling. In time 
the denuding of vast forest areas would alone 
have caused its extermination, for it needed im- 
mense areas for its nesting and for its food 
supply, 
As a matter of individual sentiment, we may 
properly deplore the extinction of a species so 
beautiful and so numerous; but as members of 
society at large, with the interest of the greatest 
good to the greatest number to be considered, 
there is nothing material to regret. Audubon 
estimated that, to feed one flock which he saw in 
Kentucky, 8,712,000 bushels of grain per day were 
required. The estimate was carefully based on 
the average contents of a pigeon’s crop. This 
enormous consumption, when restricted to the 
wild forests, imposed no hardship on man. With 
the destruction of the immense forests which ex- 
isted at that time, the general settlement of arable 
land throughout the one-time wilderness, and the 
destructive encroachments by domestic hogs, 
poultry, etc., inseparable from a settled- country, 
the wild food supply of the pigeon would be de- 
stroyed. If the pigeon still existed, the deficiency 
of wild food would necessarily force it.to seek 
sustenance on the cultivated crops, and no argu- 
ment is required to prove that its ravages then 
would be intolerable. 
A species consuming daily 8,000,000 bushels of 
corn, wheat, oats, vegetables, etc., would be a na- 
tional calamity. It would be too expensive and 
harmful to the human race to justify cherishing 
from any viewpoint. Moreover, the vast areas, 
once used by the pigeon for roosting and nesting, 
with a surplusage at that time far in excess of the 
needs of the population, were practically blasted © 
for several years thereafter. In the present stage 
of timber scarcity and high values, no owner 
would tolerate the injury and destruction to his 
forests consequent to a pigeon nesting. Injury, 
whether wrought by a nesting or a tornado, would 
be much alike in the financial result. 
The extinction of the passenger pigeon was not 
sudden. Nor was it inexplicable. There is noth- 
ing obscure about it. 
The forces which compassed the end of the 
pigeon were active through a century. Great as 
were its numbers, its destruction was mercilessly 
progressive. The great roostings seen in the ’80’s 
immense to the eye of the beholder, were small 
compared to those of a few years earlier, and 
they in turn were relatively small when compared 
to those of a still earlier period. And the slaugh- 
ter was active a century ago. It is true that the 
pigeon disappeared more rapidly toward the close 
of its existence, but it is also true that the forces 
of destruction were multiplied then many times 
in volume and effectiveness, The ’80’s saw the 
general introduction of the breechloader in the 
United States. There was a vast immigration 
which settled the wilderness of public lands; and 
many of the settlers, during the first years of set- 
tlement, had a precarious time gaining a subsist- 
ence. They shot and trapped for market in many 
cases. The forces of destruction were also better 
organized. The telegraph, active correspondence, 
the trained eye of the express messengers every- 
where, all factors combined in an immense news 
bureau, which rendered rest or escape of the wild 
pigeon impossible. More disastrous still, it ren- 
dered reproduction impossible. It is obvious that, 
if in one year the birds are prevented from nest- 
ing, in a later year there will be a dearth of birds 
to take up the labors of reproduction. At the same 
time, vast numbers of the old birds die from 
natural causes. Vast flocks require vast repro- 
duction to maintain their numbers, If there had 
been no slaughter by man, the whole race of 
pigeons would soon have become extinct from 
natural causes if there had been no reproduction. 
That reproduction was practically stopped in the 
later years of the pigeon, will be fully shown 
hereinafter, by facts set forth by Forest AND 
STREAM correspondents. 
The ending of the wild pigeon was not sudden. 
It was repeatedly indicated by the reports and 
predictions of many sportsmen through a term of 
years as set forth in the files of Forest AND 
STREAM from its first number to the time of the 
final disappearance of the great flocks. Progres- 
sively diminishing flocks, multiplication of de- 
structive forces, and destruction of nesting or 
food producing areas are signs unmistakable ro him 
who had a perception of cause and effect. It is 
a story of ceaseless wholesale slaughter. On the 
advent of the wild pigeon in any section, men 
seemed to be imbued with the sole idea to slay 
without limit. Much of the destruction was wan- 
ton. The people rallied from near and far to 
participate, and the means of destruction com- 
prised everything and anything available. The 
habits of the wild pigeon and its low intelligence, 
or perhaps its indifference, made it peculiarly sub- 
ject to slaughter. It concentrated in immense 
numbers in places favoring its destruction, and its 
destruction came, Its nest was flimsy and inse- 
cure, nearly flat in shape, and consequently any 
vigorous movement of the nesting bird commonly 
resulted in an expulsion of the egg or squab from 
the nest. When a whole nesting was invaded 
and alarmed and thousands of eggs and squabs 
were thrown from the nests, the perpetuation of 
the pigeon was impaired accordingly. 
At the present day, the passing of the wild 
pigeon is learnedly and elaborately treated as a 
mystery. The simple manner of its decline and 
ending is ignored. The truth of the matter seems 
commonplace. An affectation of the tragic and 
the unknown gives free play to the vagaries of the 
imagination, hence the speculative causes con- 
cerning the extinction are various, novel, com- 
plex—the fanciful is always manifold and free. 
To attribute the calamity to an act of Providence. 
however, relieves mankind of much odium, and 
is pleasing if such contention can be properly sus- 
tained. Mere trifles, too flimsy and frivolous for 
a moment’s serious thought, are advanced in 
proof of a sudden extermination. The facts of 

THE SUMMER WOODCOCK. 
