The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1899-01-22

came IN two bodies. one directly from the
south by land, the other following the
east coast o. Wisconsin. until they reach
cd Msnitou Island. when the great army
OK birds changed their course and few
straight across Lake Michigan. This lat
Ter body of pigeons came in from the lake
just before dark. and those who saw
70 say 10 was a compact mass OF birds
iuily six miles long and two miles wide.
Tho first flock 20 arrive I'm the woods
adjacent 20 pctosky was almost as large.
THE NESTING.
with a foot Of snow coying the ground
in the woods. where the sun could not
reach IL. but with the fields bare, This
monstrous body Of birds began building
their nests. The colony extended its b0un-
DIARIES so rapidly that 10 soon spread over
a vast territory This nesting was twenty
nine miles long and from three TO I'VE
miles wide From Pctosky for nine miles
through hardwood timber. then across
a river swamp and then on through
twenty miles of a white pine belt, did
this throng settle Every tree Of any size
through this stretch OF twenty-nine miles
contained a nest, many OF them "a dozen
nests. The noise made by this countless
mass of wild pigeons was deafenlng. their
combined clamor being easily distin-
gu.shod three miles away
Tor six weeks the birds remained AZ the
Potosky nesting During this time sew
cral million birds were slain. Nearly n
thousand men waged "a warfare OF ex-
termination against the pigeons The
shipments of dead birds % the distant
markets from Pet0sky ana smaller towns
along the peninsula avcraged-stwo car
loads each day for fully one month. but
with an this slaughter 10 is estimated
that not one bird i'm o. thousand was
taken. owls and hawks prcycd upon both
tho old birds and the squads that occu-
pied the nests TO am alarming extent
This petosky nesting covered some
thing Ike 10000 acres OF land. The NUM-
Der of dead birds sent by rail each day
was counted 40 1900 while am equal
number was shipped by water This does
not include 10000 1.-Two birds sent away
bv ncftors jos forty days more than 1.50O.-
GOO were slaughtered.
A man who was am cyc-vitncrs OF this
great nesting declares that thousands OF
squads were lcft dead iu the nests and
thousands of dead and wounded old birds
were not secured. He roughly estimated
that no less an astounding number than
100000 pigeons were sacrificed during
The nesting.
Tho meters who have done so much 10
cxtcrmiuatc the American wild pigeon
arc becoming almost as scarce am article
as The birds themselves The nctters eX
cusc for the non-appearance of the birds
iu their former great numbers IS that
they have been driven into the uninha1it-
cl regions north Of the great lakes into
British America. This theory may in
part be true. but surely the intense cold
of The winters would cause them TO flock
to warmer ciimes. I'm the warmer South
TO Doe seen. The migratory seasons come
and GO. but the wild pigeon is not count
ed among the birds that take flight north
or south The last big fight known 90
uaturalists was that which took place i'm
Michigan in the spring of 1883
THEY DISAPPEARED.
According to men who witnessed the
flying of the pigeons that year, fully a
quarter OF a million birds were ON the
wing. The METERS We're on the alert on
that occasion 10 learn OF the large nest
ing place these birds must have made
but every effort TO find the flock proved
futile The trackless woods Of British
North America. no doubt proved to be
the pigeons haven of safety
The methods pursued Dy the meters in
capturing the birds are varied. the more
common way being 10 have "a dozen or
more live pigeons with their eyelids sewcd
Shut These birds are cast into the space
secured by the net. There they futter
about and decOy around them thousands
of pigeons. The METER, hidden away be-
hind "a barrier Of hemlock boughs, pulls |
bis string and the net closes over his |
prey. The nets often become so fun that !
HE struggling birds tear it loose from |
he pegs TO which it Is fastened and I'm /
.hat way many escape.
The wild pigeon becomes easily be-
vildered. on one occasion an immense |
lock OF young birds became lost while /