Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1833-05-20

From .SiH,mon's .Mafnai. ft April.
WILD PIGEONS.


From ,SiHtman's journal Gt Apyii.
WILD PIGEONS.
The most remarkable characteristic of these birds
Is their associollng together, both in their mgra.
tons and also during the period of ucubution, in
such prodlons numbers aimos, to surpuss belief ;
and which has no parallel among any other Of the
ioahcrcd tribes on the face of the Garth with which
natnralists are acquainted
These nigrnlons appear to be undertaken rather
IN quest of food, than merely to avoid the cold "
the climate since we find them lingering in tic
northern regions around Eudson's Bay, as late ss
December and since their appearance is 50 onsutl
q irregular, sometimes not visiting certain distri4s
for several yenrs in any considerable numbers while
At other times they are hnuncrablc have Witnc}
sed these ngrations IN the G,ncssec country Often
IN Pennsy lvanls, * also IN various parts ofVIrgna
with amazcment bu, all thu, had then geen Of
them were mere struggling parties, when compared
with the congressted millions which have since
bshcld III our western forests in TIC Sucs Of Oho,
Kentucky, and the Indiana territory. These
lrtlc ind extensive regions abound with the nu-
trtlous beech nut, which constitutes the chief food
OF the Will pigcnn.lh seasons when these nuts
are abundant, corresponding mulsitu.ies Of pigeons
may DC confidently expected Il sop>niee hap
pens that, having consumed lhs whole nloduca of
ths beech tees in nm extensive district ,hey disco
yer another ut the disauce Of sixty or eighty miles
10 which they regularly repair every morning, and
return us regularly in the course of the day, in
the evening, to the place of their general rcndrz.
yous or as it is usually called, the roosllNg place.
The roosiing places are always in the woods and
sometimes occupy large extent Of forest Whom
they have frcqucntcd one of these places Tor some
time, the appearance it exhibits is surprising. The
tender grass and underwood are destroyed, the sur
face is slrcwcd with large limbs Of trees broken
down by the weight the birds clustering one IA
bove another end the trees themselves, for thou.
sands OF acres, killed as completely as # ginlicd
with an axe. The marks of this dcsolntion
main for many years ON the spot. and numerous
places could be pointed out where for several
years n1er, scarce single vegetable made lis APP
pcarance.
When these roosts arc first discovered the in
hatitants from considerable distances visit them in
the night, with guns, clubs, pots Of sulphur, and
various other engince Of destruction. IN 4 few
hours they I'll many sacks, and load their horses
with them. by the Indians pigeon roost or brcc
ding place is considered an important, source of no.
,ional prof, dcpcndcnc. for TINT season Ri their
active ingenuity is exercised on tho oCcusion. The
breeding place differs from the former in its groa.
ter extent. In the western countries above men
toned, these generally in beech woods, and Of
ten extend in nearly . straight line across the
country for great way. Not fat form Shelby vile,
in the Stutc of kcnturky about five years ago,
there was OF these breeding places, which
stretched through the woods in ncorly north and
south direction was several miles IN breadth, eni
was sad to be upwards OF forty miles in extent.
In this tract almost every tree WINS furnish j with
nests, wherever the branches would accommodate
them. The pigeons made their appearance there
about the tenth Of April and left 1t altogether, with
Il. alo al. n,fN
As the young weic fully grown and be-
fore they left Their nests, numerous parties Of the in
habitsnts from all parts Of the adjacent country
came with wagons, axes, beds, ard cooking ulcn-
sis, many Of them accompanied with 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
great as to terry their horses and 1t ,iifculr,
for one person to hear another speak without baw-
ling in his ear. The ground Was strcwcd with
broken limbs of trees, eggs, md squad pigeons
| which had been prccip'tdcd from above, and on
which herds o, hogs were fatening. Hawks, bur.
zlrJs, and eagles were sailing about in great mum.
bcrs, and sczing the squads from their nests at
pleasure while from twenty feet Upwards to the
tops Of The trees, the view through tho woods pre-
scented perpetual tumuit OF crowdng and hutler-
inc pigeons their wings roaring like thunder,
mingled with the frequent crash OF falling timber,
for now the axelncn were at work cutting down
those trees that seemed most crowded with nests,
and cnnlriv,d 10 fell Them in s. ch manner, that
in their descent they might bring down several 9TH
ers by which means The falling ofonc large tree
sometimes produced two edsquabs, little info
rlor in size to the old ones, and almost one mass
of fat. On some single trees upwards of one hun
drcd nests were found, each containing one young
one only circumstance il the 'ory Of this bird
not generally known TO naturaIs's. II was DANCE
rous to walk under the hutterlng millions from the
frequent fall Of large branches broken by the
weight of the mul,tudcs above, and which in their
descent often destroyed number OF the birds
themselves.
had left the public road to visit the remains of
The breeding place Snelbyvilc, and was ira
verslns The woods with my gun, on my way to
Frankfort when about one o'clock the pigeons,
which had observed flying the greater part Of the
morning northerly, began to return in such i'm
mcmse numbers, as | never before had Witnessed.
Coming to an opening by the side OF creek called
the Benson where had more uninterrupted
view. was asionirhcd at their appearance. They
were fvjnr with great s,etdncss aud rapidty, at
a height beyond gunsh /, ia several strata deep,
and 50 close together that could shot have reached
le,a one discharge could not have failed of bring
iny down several individuals From right TO left
as far us thu ey Z could reueh, the breadth OF this
yast process ion cxieudcd, seeming every where e.
aually crowded Curiousto determine how long
this sprcarauce would edilNde, Ooh Out MY