Litchfield enquirer., 1833-05-23
PIGEONS.

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Wild PigeOns.-' The most remarkable
characteristic of these birds is their assoc
ciating together, both in their migrations
and also during the period of incubation,
in such prodigious numbers as almost to
surpass belief; and which has no parallel
among any other ofthe feathered tribes, on
the face of the earth, with which naturalistS
are acquainted.
These migrations appear to be UNDER
taken rather in quest of food, than merely
to avoid the cold ofthe climate !; since we
find them lingering in the northern regions
around Hudson's Bay, as late as Decem-
Der; and since their appearance is so cas-
ual and irregular, sometimes not visiting
certain districts for several years in any
considerable numbers, while at other times
they are innumerable. have witnessed
these migations in the Genessee country
often in Pennsylvania, and also in various
that / had then seen of them were mere
struggling parties, when compared with
the congregated millions which have since
beheld in our western forests, in the states
of Ohio, Kentucky, and the Indiana terri
tory. These fertile and extensive regions
abound with the nutritious beech nut,
which constitutes the chief food of the wild
pigeon. In seasons when these nuts are
abundant, corresponding multitudes of pr
geons may be confidently expected. 1t
sometimes happens that having consumed
the whole produce of the beech trees in an
extensive district, they discover another at
the distance perhaps of sixty or eighty
miles, to which they regularly repair every
morning, and return as regularly in the
course of the day, or in the evening, to
their place of general rendezvous, or as it
is usually called, the roosting place. The
roosting places are always in the woods,
and sometimes occupy large extent Of
forest. When they have frequented one
Of those places for some time, The appear
ance it exhibits is surprising. The ten
der grass and underwood are destroyed,
the surface is strewed with large limbs of
trees broken down by the weight of the
birds clustering one above another and
the trees themselves, for thousands Of acres,
killed as completely as if girdled with an
axe. The marks of this desolation remain
for many years on the spot; and numer-
Gus places could be pointed out where for
several years after, scarce single vegeta-
BILE made its appearance.
When these roosts arc first discovered,
the inhabitants for considerable distance
visit them in the night, with guns, clubs,
pots of sulphur, and various other engines
of destruction. In a few hours they fill
many sacks, and load their horses with
them. By the Indians pigeon roost, OF
breeding place, is considered an important
source of national profit and dependence
for that season; and all their active inge-
nuity is exercised on the occasion. The
breeding place differs from the former in
its greater extent. In the western coun-
tries above mentioned, these are generally
in beech woods, and often extend in near
ly straight line across the country for a
great way. Not far from Shelbyville, in
the state Of Kentucky, about five years ago,
there was one of these breeding places,
which stretched through the woods in
nearly north and south direction; was
several miles in breadth, and was said to
be upwards of forty miles in extent. In
this tract almost every tree was furnished
with nests, whenever the branches would
accommodate them. The pigeons made
their appearance there about the 10th of
April, and left it altogether, with their
young, before the 25th of May.
AS soon as the young were fully grown.
and before they left the nests, numerous
parties of the inhabitants, from all parts OF
the adjacent country, came with Wagons,
axes, bells, and cooking utensils, many OF
them accompanied by the greater part OF
their families, and encamped for several
days at this immense nursery. Several Of
them informed me, that the noise in the
woods was SO great as to terrify their hors-
ss, and it was difficult for one person to
hear another speak without bawling in his
ear. The ground was strewed with brok-
en- limbs of trees, eggs, and SQUAD pigeons,
which had been precipitated from above
and on which herds of hogs were fattening
Hawks, buzzards, and eagles were sailing
about in great numbers, and Selling the
squads from their nests at pleasure while
from twenty feet upwards to the tops o.
the trees, the view through the woods pre-.
sented perpetual tumult of crowding and
huttering pigeons, their wings roared like
thunder, mingled with the frequent crash
of falling timber; for now the axe-mar
went to work cutting down those tree'
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