The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1891-02-08

than all the armies on the face of the earth
combined. Not that the birds are such awful
pluttons. The species referred TO are per-
hans the gentlest of all birds. and they are
very dainty feeders. They are the common
pigeon. first cousin of the dove, that scrlptu-
raj type of innocence and purity:
The number constituting the flock, ana not
the voracity of individuals, accounts for the
amazing food supply necessary for Their sus-
tenance. Audubon, the great American or
nithologist, saw flocks of pigeons IN Northern
Pennsylvania that contained as many mem
bets as the whole population OF the eartn
He reached this conclusion by estimating
the length and breadth of the hocks and
then allowing for two birds to every square
yard.
No man was ever better qualified than he to
make such an estimate with reasonable accu-
racy. In his great work on the birds Of Anne
RIGA land if you can buy copy for five thou
sand dollars you will get bargain) he speaks
specially of one flock, which. on as careful cal
culation as possible he estimated To contain
more than a thousand million birds. Then
with his intimate knowledge of the subject he
figured that his feathered host would consume,
in "A single day. nearly nine million bushels OF
food. and this flock was not the largest that
Audubon saw.
But. now allowing that the average soldier
consumes half peck Of food in twenty-four
hours land if he can do that and live to tell 1t
he is a marveD the food supply of that flock
Of pigeons would in bulk feed seyenty-two
million soldiers
In the forests Of Northern Pennsylvania, half
n century ago. 1T was not uncommon 10 find
the woods for dozens of miles literally alive
with pigeons i'll the nesting season. There
would be nests on every tree, often three or
four hundred on a single tree, and the weight
of the birds when roOsting would cause con-
tinual swapping and breaking OF branches.
i'd
time keep up such a clatter of sounds that
they could be heard long distances away, like
the roaring of an approaching tornado.
There is nothing Of land animal kind. even
approaching the pigeon IN size, that crowd TO-
gether in such vast numbers. In multitude
thew are equalled only by the great shoals Of
herring that, descending from their arctic
breeding places. make miles Of ocean look like
a moving mass Of animal life. The destruc-
ton of large forest areas in Pennsy lvanla has,
however. caused the pigeons 10 seek other
nesting places in great measure and soon they
will probably disappear entirely from their
forest haunts.
In the pigeon there is n remarkable exam
pie of the way in which nature equips all crea-
lures for their spheres n life. The pigeon,
unlike other birds, has a double crop, forming
two pouches, one on each side OF the gullct.
This duplex craw is evidently smooth on the
inner side. but when the incubatng season be-
gins q curious change occurs. Little Jumps
form on the inside. and examination shows
that these are glands that have become en-
larged for a very important purpose. They
secrete a milky fluid. which mingles with the
hard food taken into the crop. sOftons II. and
renders it fit for the delicate stomach Of the
young pigeons when they emerge from the
shell.
The mother bird can draw on this store Of
baby food at pleasure by sending supplies from
the crop up to the mouth as many other birds
do. II is evident that nature did not intend
that the father of the young pigeons should
loaf around after the manner of a majority Of
other males that wear feathers. The pigeon
husband is also provided with the queer baby
food crop at nesting time, and SO, like the
good and faithful father that lie IS he takes
his turn as nurse. feeding and caring for his
little ones with all the solicitude that charac-
terizes the mother.