Constitutional Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1824-1832, 1831-11-21
MISCELLANEOUS.
From Audubrn's American Orni,hologv.
PASSENGER, OR WILD PIGEON.

The multltndes of wild pigeons in our woods are
astonishing. Indeed, after having viewed them so
often, and under many circumstances, | even
now feel inclined to pause, and assure myself that
what am going to relate is fact. Yet hare seen
~ dI and that too III the company of persons who,
like myself, struck with amazcmcnt
In passing over the barrens, Il few miles beyond
Hardensburg, observed the pigeons fyinp from
north cast to southwest, in greater numbers than
thought had ever seen them before, and feeling
an lncln2ton to count the flocks that might pass
within the reach of my eye, in one hour | dis
mounted, seated myself on an cminence, and began
to mark with my pencil, making a dot for every
flock that passed. In a short time finding the task
which had undertaken impracticabe, as the birds
poured in in countless multitudes / rose and
counting. the dots then put down, found that G3
had been made in twenty one minutes | travelled
on and still met more the further proceeded The
air literally filed with pgeons tie light of
noon d. was obscured as by an eclipse; the dung
fell in spots not unlike melting flakes o snow, ind
the continued buz Of wings had tendency to ull
my senses to rcposc.
1t may not perhaps be out cf place to attempt
an estimate of the number of pigeons contained
in ono of these mighty focks, and of the quantity
OF food daily consumed by its members The in
quiry Will tend TO show tho astonishing bounty Of
the great Author of Nature in providing for the
wants of his creatures. Let take column of
mile in breadth, which is far below the averaoc
size, and suppose it passing without inter
TuPhon Tor three hours, at The rate of above one
mile in the minute. This will give us a parallelo
gram of $50 miles by ], covering 100 square miles
Allowing two pigeons to the square yard, we have
one billion one hundred and fifteen millions one
hundred and thrty-sx thousand pigeons in one
hocS As every pigeon daily consumes fully half
pint offood the quantity necessary for supplying
this vast multitude must be eight millions, seven
hundred and twelve thousand bushels per day.
Let us now inspect their place of nightly rendez-
vous. One of these curious roostinr places on the
banks Of the Grcsn River in Kentucky repeat
esIy visited. 1t was, is always the case in Il
portion Of tho forest where the trees were of great
magnitude and where there was little underwood;
| rode through it upwards of forty miles. and
crossing IT IN different parts, found it's average
breadth to be rather more than three miles
My hrst view Of it about fortnight subse
quent TO the period when they had made choice of
~ and arrived there nearly two hours before
sunset. Few pigeons wcro then TO he seem but 4
great number of persons, with horses and WAGONS
guns and ammunition had already established en-
equipments on the borders. Two farmers from
the vicinity Of Russclvillc, distant more than
hundred miles. had driven upwards of three hun
drcd hogs 10 he iatiencd on the pigeons which
were 10 be slaughtered. Here and thcrc the pco
pie employed IN plucking and sailing what had
already been procured, were seen sitting in Tho
midst Of large piles Of those birds. The dung Law
several inches deep, covering the whole extent Of
the roosting-pIacc, like bed of snow Nam.
trees two feet in diameter, observed were Lrt,y
off al no grcat distance from the ground. and tLo
branches of many Of the largest and taIIcs, Ia
givcn way, ifthe forest had been s,r, ..aV
nado Every thing PrOYed 10 a tl.at The g,'o, iO