Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1859-12-02
ANIGUTINAPIGEoN ROosT,

Al our readers are aware, we suppose,
tat the wild pigeons resort u only one place
-a roost, within a very widely extended dis
-rjc and that only + T a short time. Al
present the pigeons frequentlny our forests
clngrc-ate every night ia the Chenantl
swamp, Crawford county, Pa, and about
Two miles east Of the OHIO line. This swamp
i, about ten miles long by some two or three
vide. grown m with tammerack or larch
trees and alder bushes.
When within two miles of the rOOsting
place we began to hear the roar Of the wings
Of the millions of birds there congregated
which literally equalled the roar Of Niagara
But the sights and sounds that greeted us as
we neared the swamp, begga" description.
There were probably a hundred hunters
assemble and at work These were divided
INTO parties OF not more than two or three
some in the tammeracks and some in the
alders
At a shot in the bushes the birds rose in
mass and settled on the trees, and when
fred upon there, they few to the bushes.
This changing continued all night. At a
sin,le shot the flock always rose and few
short distance. to settle or be fired uro7
srlin. This scene lasted all night.
The usual mode of hunting the pigeons. is
FIR two men to 90 together-one with a gun
and the other with a bag, lantern and
matches As soon as the shot is fired, the
-.. man strikes light and bags the
birds. and this must be Gone speedily, or the
wounded ones will hide, and be lost. Six
dozen is quite a heavy load for any man.
We gin eout' under FIVE dozen very soon.
We were told t. fire with one barrel at
-as bushes. and with the other at the ''bile
ln." The term "bile up is IA very natural
.Ie. for at every shot the flock will ris,
straight upward, and after circling "a few
moments. make a swooping course and then
ought perhaps within few yards OF where
they rise The number kill ed seems almost
Incredible. One man killed four dozen at
ana shot and 900 in the night.
Ike everything else known to man, the
almighty dollar is connected with this.
Pigeon buyers are stationed on an island in
ta- swamp. who purchase them as fast a,
killed. at twenty cents dozen. Women are
employed TO pick them, who receive five
cents per dozen, which is about what the
feathers are supposed to be worth.
These buyers keep a tull supply Of
ammunition, candles, &c, the latter item
lIDldDly embracing lhOSe SlneWS OF war,
usually bought in New York, in Original
packages. " The pigeons are Immediately
shipped for New York, where they bling a
good price, and where the courtesy OF the
buyer extends the term 'iresh' to an article
decidedly appreciable to the oifactories.
The habits Of these birds are an interesting
study, and that alone would repay a visit TO
:1 If haunts. They appear to have no in
iyiduality; and all their actions are in
focks-the flock seeming to be the individu
a At night they come in focks, and in
che morning they make up in aocks to leave
uniting smaller into larger ones, when the
appearance is like a swarm Of bees. At the
sight Of a flash they instantly change their
course or scatter. We noticed an immense
5lck ike cloud, when large meteor shot
lthvart the sky, at the sclntillations Of
which the feathered host scattered in all di
rct0ns. In the morning, little after sun
rise, they begin to leave, and in fifteen min
ltes they are all gone, spreading in all
directions over the country to feed. From
this roost they diverge daily in all directions
over a district, whose diameter is probably
2l0 miles, to return again every night, and
be hunted from bush to bush, and kept in
notion by the rapAclty of man, instead Of
the rest that nature directed then to seek IN
that sequestered resort.-AShtdbuld Sentinel.