The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1874-07-04
THE NESTING OF WILD PIGEONS.
BY DIR. GIDEON LINCECUM.

by DIR. GIDEON IlNCECUM.
From The american Sportsman.
In your issue of 23rd of May, you say,
correspondents frequently ask us where
pigeons winter in the greatest numbers,
and where they are to be found most abuu-
dant in spring, summer and fall, " and then
remark, "this is exactly what we ourselves
would like to ascertain"
Well, even the pigeons themselves could
not exactly tell you now, where they will
spend the next winter. That will depend
entirely-as all wild pigeons will tell you,
on having the question put to them-upon
circumstances, which have not yet tran
spired. Their principal food consists of
the acorns of various oaks, e obtusiloba, 2
catesby 2 phallos, aquatica, 2 rirens, the
nnts of all the Fagus family,) cane seeds
and the nut-like seeds of various other
trees and vines.
During October and the first days of
November, small flocks of pigeons are
seen swiftly passing in various directions.
These are prospecting flocks which visit
every portion of the continent south of the
frozen region, and return and report
Then, and not until then, do they know
in what portion of the temperate zone they
will take up winter quarters. The great
est quantity and widest district of their
natural food reported, decides the matter.
A section of country four or five hum
dred miles in diameter is selected, and
about the center Of it, the sleeping ground
is located. Fer this they prefer an elevat-
ed country with large timber. Here they
all come to sleep every night, and it is curl
Gus to see how they can pile up on the
branches of thick tree top, until it breaks
down or becomes solid mass of birds
These pigeon roosts as they are called, on
an average, will occupy distric ten to
twelve miles in diameter. l visited one in
the night time that was in full blast
traversed the dangerous place the greater
part of the night, avoiding the vicinity of
the large loaded trees; for the swapping
and crashing of their branches soon taught
me the necessity of carefulness. The
breaking limbs of the trees, the screech.
ing and croaking voices and the storm of
wings that was momentarily occurring,
over an area of forty or fifty square miles,
kept up continuous uproar that was won
derful to contemplate. The ground layed
strewed with dead and crippled pigeons;
hogs, foxes, racoons and opossums, all be-
came so fat they could barely get out of
the way. Many people visited the roost,
who, after wanton destruction of thous-
ands, would take home bags full of them.
The birds continued to occupy that roost
every night for about six weeks, or until
their peculiar food of that section had
been consumed. Ut is my opinion that the
entire hosts of that species of the genus
columbia, roasted there.) And when there
were no more acorns within reach, they
departed to some other region where they
could find something to eat. They were
all gone in single day.
The value of the soil in pigeon roost is
what you have said in your article on this
subject in your issue of 23rd of May. l
can't write it out here.
l enjoyed the opportunity in the month
of April, 1882, of making observations on
the manners and customs of the wild pig
cons, through the entire period of nest
making, sitting, Matching and feeding,
until they abandoned and left their young
ones screaming for food. 1t occurred on
heavy timbered section of the Tombigbee
bottom, fifteen miles in length and one and
ahalf to two miles wide, lat. SO deg. 16 m.
north. The timber was very tall, consist
ing of oak, hickory, beech, sweet gum and
cypress, the underground, cane, vines and
bushes. Here the "putchee nashoba,"
lost dove, as the Chocktaws call the wild
pigeon, nested.
| made excursions Of six or seven miles
through the bottom, twice, during the
time they were constructing their nests,
they were so much engaged, they paid but
little attention to me; and three other ex-
cursions after they had laid their eggs.
They made their nests of small dry
twigs, bits of sticks, dry leaves, and all
kind of trash found on the ground, and BY
the time they had completed their work,
the entire bottom looked black and clear
of litter as if it had been swept with a
broom, not leaf nor stick was left, and
to judge from the appearance of the scanty
nests, the birds didn't have half enough.
One day after incubation had commenced
three other men and myself went to the
bottom to make observations. The dis
coveries we made filled every mind with
surprise and amazement at the work that
had been done, by these little birds during
the past eight days. Through all the be-
fore mentioned thirty square miles of that
densely timbered bottom, from as high as
ones head on horseback on the sapplings,
to the topmost limbs on the tallest trees,
not vacant spot where nest could be
crowded in, was to be found anywhere.
We all searched with that object in view.
The foliage of the trees had not yet un-
folded, but the packed and muff1ed up
appearance of their tops made the swamp
dark as midsummer. On the large hori-
zontal prongs Of the big trees, were long
rows of nests, closely jammed side by side,
and in all the forks, on projecting knots
and many more unlikely places nests were
found. Many on the saplngs were fire.
quently found so low that sitting on horse
back one could peep into them; and find
ing but one egg in each, we surmised that
they were not done laying. We therefore
examined all we could reach i'll passing
through seven or eight miles of the bot
tom. Twas all the same, one egg only.
Every nest was occupied, and the occu
pant, from her reluctance to leave it, SEEM
ed to be sitting, however, we still chung to
the idea that they would lay another egg.
Three days after we went again, but there
were no more eggs, one piece was all that
was deposited at that nesting place.
1t is a subject worthy of notice, that no
nest was found on any that stood on
ground, higher than the level of the bot