Morning journal and courier., 1893-07-31
The Vanishing wopd-PIreon.
IFrom a Lament for the Birds.'' by Susl
Fenimore Cooper in Harpcr's Magazine

| From a Lament for the BIrds." by Susan
Fenimore Cooper in Harpcr's Magazine
for AuEUst.l
Very remarkable has been The history of
the native wild pigeon, bird entirely pc
culiar to North Americs, from the Gulf of
Mexico to Hudson Bay. Its history lie not
only very interesting, but quite wonderful
in some of It's details, The bird Itself,
taken singly, as re rus.ics know, is ele-
giant in form, and very pleasing in iis
slate colOred piumase, tinged with 8 pale
| shading of red on the breast L. IL very
gentle and peseeAble. entirely harmless,
and even timid by nature. Who would
| have though: 1t pnssibls that gentle birds
| Ike these should hags swep. ever the in
| te, ioT CT the coEtine-; within a century IN
| hoCks TO vast as 10 u5scuIe the sun al
noon AZ though ;he conntry lay under an
| eclipse, while the csGselsss rspid motiun Of
millions CT ~iEss produc, q loud rear
i like an approschiBg toTnsdoi Accurate
/ and experienced men of sciencs-Wilscn
1 and Audubon-te2l Us OF vast focks COW
ering one hundred and eighty seuare miles
1 of country in Kentucky as recently ss
\ 1918. They tell ne OF vast breeding places
In western forests many miles in extent,
| where ninety meets were counted in one
1 tree. They tell us of Toos.ing- grounds
forty miles In length, with q breadth Of
several miles, the uproar from this ronst-
| ing-ground being heard at a distance of
three miles. They tell us Of one column
of these birds in flight covering two hun
/ dred and forty miles of country ia lengthl
| Grand indeed must have been the move
Il ment over the continent Of that vast ny-
ing winged cloud, 8 great marvel Of ma
ture. Nothing 70 equal 1t has besn known
| elsewhere on earth.
The old pines on the hill-tops Rbout the
O.stgo water souls forty years since must
have been frequently overshsdowed by
iccks of the d-pigeon, much less won
deiful than those farther west, bnt siill re-
msrkable in their numbers.
On the early morning Of June s. is47.
the lake and the village lag shr0uded in q
summer mist. A lsTgs flock If wild
pigeons bs came hewildeEed In the fog and
lost their wsy-an unusual incident in
theiT history. Instinct failed 10 guide
them. Their naturally keen sight could
not pierce the mist. They dropped on the
nearest tees, in the heart of the village,
on our own lawn, in the church. yard, In
| the gardens, and OH tho sluls aud NAPLES
shading the streets. With the first rsyI
of the sun appearing above Mount Vision
the mist rose, the biEds took flight
In the early spring of lS49 a large fOck
of pigeons, supposed to number several
thousands, selected for their breeding
ground a wood in the valley of the Sus
quehanns some miles TO the southwark Oi
the lake The details were simi ar 10 thoss
reported of the vast breeding places at the
west-nests csrelessly built of tEigs, 4
number In close neighborhood in the samt
tree; broken limbs of trees; a low mur
muir of wings But the ground occupied
| was q narrow one.
Since these years no large iocks of wild
| pigeons have pssssd over Lake Otseso
A few only have been seen where former
ly they were numbered by the hundred
To day you inquire If any wild-pigeoni
have bsen recently found In these woods
"Nons that we hsve seen or heard of late
ly," shall be the answer to your inquiry
what a change within forty yeArsI Ala
for the vanished wild pigeon