Pullman herald. [volume] (Pullman, W.T. [Wash.]) 1888-1989, 1907-11-02


state. and especially fron tbs Catskll
regioa. that neeks q genaine passeneer-
g. gs-ons had bern seen there John
Burroughs. fhe Baturalisf. has followed
~ and. - far as mAy be. c0unrmed
these reports. unfn q seems probatls
that IN the mountainous district north
west " Kingston Their actually exists
an decreasing coi0ny ~ birds q .
sTeclas supposed O. have become ex-
tiIacf
"a the natural hi3ory ~ Amersca
tlsere i 40 more remarkable story than
that o. these beautiful birds Whlch for
merry frsgueuted the entire central
part a tn continent In unheli esea bic
. numbers. NoFeiisis and story Nrlters
/ have frequently referred a. the old
time pigeon shoots" aud p.eeon pc
vas favoriie dish Of our grandfathers
ard even % eur fathers The birds
weTe lesssned ia number By indlscrim-
mate slaughter FOR hfty years. q single
dealer. says ". 4. Mershon In las book
ca the pigeons having shipped enc
hundred and 49, eutg i've thousand live
birds 60 market from q single nesting
enc sTr.ns. besides thousands % barrels
81 dead birds This formed bat a
small part OF the catch 81 that nest
lug
Probably no more emarkahIe az
count b given by auy naturalist than
that o. Alexander Wilson. the earliest
- American oru.tb8lo-. So. a l0 s.tei
In keutucky a nesting place forty miles
long and several mites wide. ln which
every tree heId from one 10 one hua-
dred nesis and maug trets were broken
down aud ever growing thing was
kiled By tie EaosIllg birds
About one O'Clock SAYS Wilson.
"tLe pigeons. which had observed the
greater part of the morning dying
aHrtneriy. began "a return "a such lm-
meuse numbers as I newer before had
witnessed Coming % an aleluE b
The H. - a creea lere bad q more
uninterrupted view. Was sstsnl,asd
a. their appearance They were aylng
With great sread.us>s and rapiIIfy Al
height beyond rua-sbat. several
strata deep. and - close together that,
could shot have reached them. one dis
charge could MT have faiied OF bring
NJ down several Individuals
Prem right O. left a. far 6 tie
eye could reach. the breadth - tbs
vast Procession eXJeudei. seeming
everywhere equally crowded
Curious % determine hos long this
appearance would continue I took out
ny watch % note tle time AID sat
down D. observe them. IL was then
half past one. sal for mere than an
hour. bar instead % q diminutlon o.
this prodigious procession. Il seemed
rather to Increase IA both numbers and
rapidiy. and being anxious 60 reach
Frankfort before night. / ruse and Weat
On
About four In the afternoon cross
- the Kentucky river at the town -
Frankfort. AZ which time the living
torrent above my head seemed a. nm
merous and extensive as ever. Long
after this ] observed them IN large
bodies until SIX O'Clock that evening.
Il have taken from the crop 81
single Mid pigeon a good handful 81
fae Kernels - heszhnuls argrus and
r.Ias-HUfs To fs-a r1ash estimate
~ tHa daily consumption ~ one n
fHese immense fe-ss, lrJ Is first At
-H.r1t fo calculate fhe numbers - that
20 Frankfort II we suppose this col
ann t0 have been "a mile lu breadth.
and believe t - have teau much
uore.-aud thar If moved af The rate -
a mile minute. fHr hsu-s the tine 4
continued passing would make -
Who's length fwa hundred and forty
miles
-Azsin. sIffsa~irs earl square yard
= re moving BIDS o1u.g -eser.iaa three
pigeons. ne square yards Ia the whole
space multiplied - three would give
two billion. Two hundred snd thirty
million. tUo hundred and ss.yeufy-tsro
thousand birds number probably Tar
below tlse scfual uuml-.r.
'Eomputlng each - these 20 consume
haB pint 81 mast daily. the whole
quantity - fhis rate would eousI
seventeen million. four hundred aud
tyFenty-four thousand bushels % mast
= dav
-Henven ~ wisely given th~sa bird.
rsnld'y q fLEht and disposition 10
ranE~ over vast uncultlvafed tracts
otherwise they mnst have nerished IN
he districts whore they resided. or d.
rour>d up thu whole product - ayr
culture - well as the products Of the