The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1880-06-05

tom finds the moss and the hen does the
thatching. Il takes three days to build
a nest. When everything is ready for
housekeeping the hen lays an egg. and
rarely more than one. During incuba-
ton the tom alternates in household
duty. There are from ten to thirty nests
in tree. Each family strictly attends
to its own business. The tom feeds
his own wife and no other. The hen
remains at home and docs not gad about
among her neighbors. The golden rule,
however, is not recognized. IL hen
loses ier husband she receives no SYM
pathy No one offers TO assist her in
raising her SQUAD, and while she is in
scare Of food to keep it alive, it may
perisIArom exposure under the eyes Of
seo-es OF uhconcerned fathers and moth
crs.
The egg matches within thirteen days,
and the nest is never deserted until the
squab is gown. The parents take turns
in procuring food. The tom usually
shelters the squab from s A. NJ. to J p.
NJ, and the hen docs the same during
the intervening time. At night the tom
roosts near her. In cold weather the
squads are fed three times day. If the
days are warm they are allowed one or
two lunches in addition to their regular
meals. In Forest county the old birds
were flying from thirty to forty miles in
search Of food. When nuts are scarce
they journey over hundred miles,
They fly At the rate Of about ninety five
miles an hour. With disicndcd crops
they wing their way back to their nests
The action o! their wings churns the food
into a curd resembling boiled rice. This
curd gives rise to the phrase ''pigeon
milk" two expressive words frequently
used without an idea Of their meaning.
On the return TO the nest the SQUAD puts
its head into the parent birds mouth.
and draws the milk direct from the crop.
For twelve days are they fed on this
substance. They are then As fat as but
ter and rs listless as toads n MONDAY.
THE LAST MEAL FROM TIE OLD BIRD.
On the thirteenth day they receive
their last meal from the bills OF the old
birds. Their throats are packed with
beech nuts, and they are left TO their own
resources. The toms and hens arise
from the tops Of the trees like great
cloud, and are quickly lost to sight
The squads lie blinking in their nests
for hours. On finding themselves de-
serted, they toddlc to the rims Of their
baskets and balance themselves. After
4 preliminary fuiter of the wings they
strike out for limb, reach it, lose their
equilibrium, and tumble to the ground.
They then wander about ike drunken
men for three of four days ere they know
enough to seek food or water. Fully 4
week elaPses before they are in good fly-
ing condition. When they become lean
they readily take wing, and skirmish for
Themselves Their wing feathers grow
much faster than the feathers in their
tails, and when flying this gives them
ludicrous appearance. They resemble
boys in monkey jackets. \ lack Of tail
feathers sends them ruddcrlcss through
the air. They are forced to fly in
straight line, swerving gently between
the trees. On alighting they frequently
pitch heels over head, and appear dumb
founded. \; first they form small lockS.
but rs they grow stronger of wing these
flocks come together, and the downy
brigade pitches for 4 good feeding
ground Either instinct or some kind
hearted old bird points the way, for
veteran pigeon-huntcrs sly that flock
OF squads invariably finds the hes; food.
The parent birds nest anew within
few miles of the old place. II the beach
nuts hold out they nest three times be-
fore summer. After the third nesting
the myriad disbands and is scattered over
the country. In autumn they are found
in the woods from Maine to Texas and
from Washington Territory TO Georgia.
A very few mate and nest in odd places
in the summer. All, however, reuniic
in a grand army about the beginning of
the new year. This flock nesied in For
est county 1873, 1871 and 1867. Last
year they ncs,ed in the Indian Territory,
where there was Siiperabundancc Of
acorns. \ great crop OF beech nuts IS
usually followed by large crop Of
acorns. The two crops seldom grow in
the same year. These facts are derived
from professional pigeon hunters. who
also assert that three immense flocks Of
the birds are now nesting in the United
States-one in Missouri. 4 second in
Michigan, and third in Forest county.
THE PROFESSIONAL PIGEON HUNTER.
The professional pigeon hunter is
kaen-eyed, bronze faced, and hard hand
cd. He usually chews tobacco, drinks
whisky, and indulges in profanity. He
wears black sombrero, cashmere suit,
and thick-soled boots. He IS slOuchy
and reserved, and not particularly COM
municative. Once get on the inside Of
him, however, and YOU will find him
genial and generous Sixteen years ago
he made from $500 TO $1,000 net in i
nesting season. Now he finds his re-
ceipts cut down by local catchers-men
who were At first hired to assist him in
Spreading nets. but who have learned
the calling and have gone into business
on their own account. Ten years ago
there were from thirty TO forty p.oies-
sional pigeon trappers IN the United
States. They did nothing else. The
number has been reduced until j, in
cludes Messrs. Ackerman and Jones,
Of Columbus. Ohio; HaycOck and Cad
mus, Of Geneva, Ohio Paxton Of some
town near Buffalo /; Custen, Of Roanoke.
Ohio; Little, Of CarterSburg, Ind, and
TIL Utley. Of Neenah, Wis Alderman
is the oldest pigeon catcher in the cOun-
try. He has been at the business over
forty years
A HUNTERS INTERESTING STORY.
sT have been in the businessfor near
" twenty years." says Mr. Utley.-