The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1901-05-01
HOODS
SarsapariNa
Is Americas Greatest Spring Medi-
cine. Be sure to get Hoods.
WILD PIGEONS OF AMERICA.

In book entitled 1.-THE Historical Cabi-
net" printed in 1884, and owned by Carlos
| l.. Smith Of this city, IL found most inter
esting account of the wild pigeon OF Amer
lea written by Mr. John James Audubon
and taken from De- Brewster's Journal Of
| Science
The writer tells OF journey made by him
in the autumn Of 1873 from Henderson,
Ohio to Louisville, KY, on the banks OF the
Ohio. He had been told that he would see
tiocks OF pigeons In greater numbers than
he had ever seen them before and he put in
most enjoyable days and nights Watching
these birds He stated that the psople all
along the route were up in arms and shoot
ing on all sides at the passing hocks. The
banks OF the river were crowded with men
and boys, for here the pigeons hsw IA her
low III they passed the Ohio. This gave an
opportunity TO destroy them in great num-
beers, For a week or more the population
! spoke OF nothing but pigeons and fed on
nothing else. The whole atmosphere dur
ing That time was strongly impregnated
with the smell appertaining to their spe-
cies.
The writer estimates the number o pig
cons contained la enc OF these mighty
f1ocks as one billion, one hundred and tif-
teen millions, one hundred and thirty-six
thousand, and as every pigeon consumes
fully half pint OF food per day that 1t
and twelve Thousand bushels per day to
feed such flock.
Continuing, the writer says: ITO one Of
their general nightly rendezvous paid re-
peated visits. II was, as Is almost al ways
the case, pitched in portion OF the forest
where the trees were OF great magnitude,
but with little underground. / rode
through II lengthwise a distance OF forty
miles, and crossed 1t at different parts,
ascertainng its width to be rather more
than three miles. At about two hours be-
fore the setting OF the sun, few pigeons
were to be seen. But great number OF
persons with horses, wagons, guns and am
munition had already established different
camps on the borders. Two farmers had
driven more than one hundred miles and
had driven upwards OF three hundred hogs
to be fsttened on pigeon meat. Here and
there the people employed in picking and
sailing what had already been procured
were seen sitting In the center OF large piles
OF these birds, all proving to me that the
number resorting there at night must be
immense. Many trees two feet in diameter
l observed were broken at no great dis
lance from the ground and the branches
OF many Of the largest and tallest 80 much
30 that the desolation already exhibited
equalled that performed by furious tor
nado. AS the time elapsed l saw each OF
the anxious persons about to repare for
action. Some had sulphur in iron pots,
others torches of pine knots, many had
poles, and the rest guns, double and treble
charged.
"The sun was lost to our view yet not
pigeon had arrived. But all OF a sudden / |
heard a cry Of here they come" The noise
which they made, though distant, reminded |
me OF hard gale at sea passing through |
the rigging OF a close reefed vessel As the |
birds arrived and passed over me felt a |
current OF air that surprised me. Thous-
ands were soon knocked down by the pole |
men, The current OF birds, however, kept |
still increasing. The fires were lighted and |
a most magnificent rs we'll as wonderful |
and terrifying sight was before me. The |
pigeons coming in by millions slighted ev-
erywhere. One on the top Of another until |
masses OF them resembling hanging swarms
OF bees as large as hogsheads were formed
on every tree in all directions. These
heavy clusters were seen to give way as the
supporting branches breaking down with a
crash came to the ground, killing hundreds
OF those which obstructed their fall, forcing
down other equally large and heavy |
groups, and rendering the whole scene OF
uproar and distressing confusion. found
IL quite useless to speak or even TO shout to
those persons nearest to me. The reports
even Of the different guns were seldom
heard and l knew only OF their going of by
seeing the owners reload them"
The writer then goes on to tell how the
hungry hogs were turned loose among
hem. At the approach Of day the pigeons
began to move off in direction different
rom which they arrived the day before and
n an incredibly short time none that were
able to fly remained. The next night the
lowling OF wolves, foxes, lynx, cougars,
bears raccoons, and polecsts gave evidence
hat, these animals. with the eagles and
hawks OF different species supported by a
losrde OF bnzzards and carrion crows were
'eaping the benefits OF that night OF destruc.
ion.