Morning journal and courier., 1880-05-06
Wild Pigeons in Michigan.

1 telegraph reports one will cross to-day. I | hope so, for want my mail.
 Wild Pigeons in Michigan.
 The Flight of Millions Toward the | NOrth-AOw They Build Their Nests [Oorrespondencs of the Detroit PoEt.l LITTLE TRAVERSE, Mich, April 24-Some- thing more than four weeks ago the biennial flight of pigeons to the woods of Northern 1 Michigan, for which the hunters had long been watching, commenced. These birds | on their journeyings from the South to the | far North stop every two years for two or three nestings in Michigan, usually coming in immense numbers. On the alternate years, when beech-nuts are not abundant in this State, they take some other course in their northward flight. Formerly, their first nest 1 late they have generally settled first in Shelby, Oceana county, and later in the season in Benzle and Emmst countless Two years ago they skipped both Ooeana and Benzie coun- ties and heated frat in Emmet, near Petos- key. This year their first flight was to the l same section, but they soon discovered that they had been fooled by the warm weather further south. The weather about Petoskey WAS still cold, the bay was frozen over, the snow was deep in the woods, the prospect for good feeding was bad, and after day or two of apparent lrresolution and many cratic flights the birds, as if by common consent, took their course to the neighborhood of Platte river in Benzie county As 8 local publication stated at the time, ''they came in clouds, millions upon millions. It seemed as if the entire world of pigeons was concentrat- ing at this point. The air was full of them and the sun shut out of sight, and still they came, millions upon millions more" They spread over an area of more than 15 miles in length and to miles wide, and the prospect for time was that the nesting would be the most extensive ever known in the State. The news speedily reached all parts of the State, and 1t is said that in fortnight's time 1000 hunters-profsssionals, amateurs, greenhorns had invaded the country from all directions, surrounding and penetrating the nesting grounds.
 It was noticed, however, by old hunters that the birds did not settle down to domestic life as quickly as usual. The roasting birds that is, those who had not yet mated-out- numbered the nesting birds hundred to one Some of the more zealous and inconsiderate sportsmen entered the nesting woods and commenced popping away at the nests them selves, snow-storm followed high winds prevailed, and many of the roasting birds, diGgusted, postponed thsir anticipated house. keeping and scattered. The nesting conse- quently falls far short in magnitude of what was at first expected, though still large in area and containing millions of birds. It scat tered along the banks of the Platte river in the
 
 The distance from one end to the other is over 10 miles, and the width varies from a few rods to three or four miles. There are, how ever, numerous long distances between the two extremes where no nests are to be found, and the birds have occasionally changed their ground, SO that many of the hunters them selves are very uncertain as to the exact where abouts of the birds at tho present time. In the fly nests first made the young are about ready to fly, aud have been abandoned by the old birds, and in some place, owing to the winds and the constant shooting, the nests have been deserted before any birds were hatched
 One nesting is about the same as another, and the first nest you come to like the million others in the county. When these migratory birds have mated, decided where to settle, and have Etaked off their claim, they proceed at once to construct about the slightest nest that will hold an egg and bird. s'Three sticks and feather constitute about the material according to recent visitor here. The feath- CT is often wanting, but few more sticks are generally added. The nest Is placed in the crotch of 8 tree, on two forked branches, or anywhere else in the tree where suitable SUD- port can be found. Cedar trees along the river bottoms seem to be preferred, hut when the nestings are large, beech and other trees are occupied. From half dozen to 50 or 60 nests are built in a tree, and only one egg is laid in each nest.
 saqui the Most Famous of Rop pe-Dan-
 cerS.
 From the PAn Mall Gazette.l
 The most famous rope-dancer of recent times was undoubtedly Mme. Saqui, and her long career would seem to show that if the practice of rope-dancing brings some of it's professors to sudden end, it must in itself be far from unhealthy. We may fairly infer that in her case it was conducive to longevity; fo- sha bod du do Isar okf ho end of the eighteenth century, and was still dancing less than twenty years ago, when she had attained the age of seventy-six. According to some authorities Mime. Saqui was born of French parents. Her father, Jean Baptiste Lalanne, was himself a distinguished acrobat, and he introduced his daughter to the public at 8 very early age in 8 amelo drama on the sub jsct of 'fGenevieve de Brabant," the part of Gsnevieve's child being confded to the debu- tante. It was as dancer the ordinary boards that the youthful Saqui made her first appearance in public but she soon aspired to higher things, and as the troupe of the s'grands danseuses du roi' had been broken up at the time of the Revolution, she took regular course of lessons in rope dancing from a friend of the family, who divined the bent of her genius. The counsellor and instructor who discovered and fostered her talentfor bal ancing herself on the tight-rope was, had been, medical student, who, to escape the tediousness of lectures, had turned acrobat; and it was through his earnest representations that the parents of the future rope-dancer celebrity were prevailed upon to allow their daughter to quit the regular stage for less dignifed arena.
 The child practised with ardor, and was soon able to maintain herself firm and erect upon the rope without the assistance of the balancing pole. Her debut was attended with the most brilliant success, and for upward of half 8 century this prima donna of the danc- ing art travelled from capital to capital, ap- plauded and feted wherever she performed. There was no town in France, no country in Europe, which she did not visit After tiae she established theatre of her own at Paris. The Emperor Napoleon, who appreciated her talent, and was personally much pleased with her, named her first acrobat of France'-a title which so pleased her that she had it in scribed on the wagon containing her cos tunes and apparatus by which her travelling coach was followed. Napoleon used to engage her for all public fetes, and frequently invited her to perform at his own private entertain ments She was the spoiled child, moreover, of all the princes and dukes, all the marshals and generals of the Empire; and she was as great favorite with the people as with the members of the Imperial Court. No Italian singer, even in our own day, enjoyed such pop- ularity as fell to the lot of Mime. Saqui.
 For time her star seemed to have faded: or perhaps she retired on the immense sums of money which her performances had brought her in. However that may have been, circum- stances forced her in 1851 to reappear. when she made tour in Spain in Algeria and in the principal towns of France. Ia 1852 she went to Paris and gave series of perform ances at the Hippodrome. The next year she made 8 sensational ascent of the tight-rope in the Champ de Mars; and the Hippodrome was the scene of 8 final performance given for her benefit in 1861, when, at the age of sev- enty-six, she went through series of funam- bulistic exercises and fantasias which few, if any, of her rivals could have equalled. Some four years afterward, when she had already