The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1875-03-31
The wild pigeon.

As population increases the wild
pigeon, o. passenger pigeon, as Will
son deaominates it, steadily decreases.
The immense focks that every spring,
thirty years ago, would be seen pass
ing over Pennsylvania and neighbor-
ing States, are comparatively now
but rarely observed. Fifty years
ago this bird was numerous IN the
vicinity Of Philadelphia, bat OF late
il seldom shows itself within a hun
dred miles Of cur city except in small
locks.
It's great power If fight enables it
TO pass over an immense space in q
brief period. The bird has been kill
ed In the State of New NCrk with
crops fail of rice which it could not
have collected this side of North
Carolina, that being the nearest 10
cality where they might have pro
cured a supply. As the bird d'gesls
its food in twelve hours it must hare
travelled nearly four hundred miles IL
about six hours, which would indIi
cate It's power of flight TO be at The
rate of q mile "A minute.
In speaking Of this bird Audubon
saws. hat in the fall Of 1913, he left
his home in Henderson, on the banks
of the Ohio, on his way 10 Louis
vile. Near Hardinsburg, Kentucky
he found The air 6lled with pigeons
The light Of the SUI WAS ohscureC
AZ if by an eclipse. The excremen'
from this mighty collection Of birds
fell Ike flakes Of snow, aud the cease
less buzzing Of the wings had a very
Ilullipg influence. When he reached
louisville, ffty-three miles from Har'
dicsburg, the pigeons were still flying
in undiminished numbers, and con
tjnued to do so for three days after
wards. The banks Of the Ohio were
lined with mea aDd boys constantly
shooting at the passing birds. Al
immense number vere thus destroy
ed. and for over a week pigeons form
ed the principal article Of food viii
many thousands of people.
4 friend residing in Detroit informs
me that last year there was an ex
tensiye flock Of these birds in Ben
zine county, Michigan. 1t was esti'
mated that it occupied a space oil
four square miles in which area every
tree was thronged with the birds.
Several hundred men were employed
nearly two weeks ia shooting GDc
catching them, during which time
many barrels Of dressed pigeons
hacked in ice and hGadreds of live
birds were daily shipped from Frank
tort. This "soost," which was but a
few miles f.om Frankfort, was in q
forest of beech trees. The pigeon
almost always SELECTS a grove ofthest
trees when it intends to make a bal
for refreshments, as it is particularly
fond of the beech nat, on which II
rapidly fatters if not constantly dis.
turbed BY the horde Of gunners who
usually invade the pigeon roosts
Many men make shooting and catch.
ing pigeons a business, and are sup.
piled with all the parapbernalia nee
essary to take the birds in large
numbers. Being acquainted with
the habits Of the birds, they follow
the flock as it changes its location.
In the early part of March n oil
more great locks start north from
the extreme southern States, stopping
for one or two weeks in favoriie Local.
tiles. after a eight Of a hundred mile:
or mere. These men by observing
the direction Of the eight follow, anC
generally fnd plenty of purchasers
for the birds at the rate OF from 9
dollar to a dollar and a half per doz
en-. 1t is on account Of this immense
destruction after the migration has
commenced, that The number of lat
years have decreased so rapidly, anC
in the old hauat2 where they wer'
so numerous in ray bogkood day.
they are now known no more.-Ger
maato10a Telegraph.