The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1859-12-10
5rlcft nlisrclIanD.
A Night in a Pigeon Roost.

Just now the wild pigeons roost in nnu.
merable numbers IN the Chenango Swamp
Crawford county. Pa. about two miles cas-
OF the OHIO line. The swamp is about ten
miles long by two or three wide, grown VI
with tamcrack Or larch tees and der bushes
The editor ofthe Ash.abula Sentinel has beer
among the pigeons: lie says:
hen within two miles of the roostinc
place we began to bear the roar of the wings
of the millions of birds there conerecated,
which literally equacd the roar of Niagara
But the signs and sounds that greeted US as
we nearod the swamp, beegar description. -
There were probably hundred hunters as
sembled and at work. These were divided
into parties OF not more than two or three
some in the Tameracks, and some in the
aldcrs. AT shot in the bushes the birds
lose in mass and settled on the trees : and
when upon there. they few TO the bushes. -
The changing continued all night.
AT a single shot, the flock always rose and
ilew short distance to settle or he tircd upon
again. This scene continued all night
The usual mode of hunting the pigeons, is for
Two men to 90 together-one with a gun and
the other with bag and lantern ard matches.
As soon as the shot is fired, the bag man
strikes light. and bags" the birds and
this must be done speedily or the wounded
| ones will hide and be lost. Six doZrn is
quite heavy load for any man. We "gin
cout y under five dozen very soon. We were
told to fire with one barrel at the bushes, and
with the other at the " bile up" The term
boH up is very nutural one for at every
| shot, the flock will rise straight upward, and
| after circinS a few moments. IN IKE swoop-
| ing course, and then alight within few
yards Of where they rose. The number led
seems almost incredible. One man killed
four dozen at a single shot, and nine hudrcd
in the night.
Pigeon buyers take the birds as fast as
killed. at 25 cents dozen, and they are
immediately shipped for New York They
| have station on an island in the swamp and
| employ man to Slow horn all night to
direct the hunters to their camp. The SEN
hncl says:
1.-The ha bits Of these birds is an interesting
study and that alone would repay a visit to
| their haunts They appear to have no ind-
Vlduallty and all their actions are in hocks
the flock Seeins to be the individual. AT
night they come in nocks, and in the morn
inss they make up in tlocks to leave, uniting
smaller ones into larger ones, when the appear.
| ance Is like Il swarm Of bees. At the sight
OF flash they instantly change their course
| or scatter. We noticed an immense flock like
! a cloud. when large meteor shot athwart
the sky, at the sclntlaiion of which the
irathertd host scattered in all direct ions In
the morning lItlle after sunrise they began
to leave, and in fifteen minutes they are all
gone. spreading in all directions over the
| country to feed. From this roost they
dverge daily in all directions over district
whose diameter is probably two hundred
mlies, to return again every night. and be
hunted from bush to bush, and kept in motion
by the rapacity of man, instead of the rest
Nature directed them to seek in this srqucs.
| tered resort"