Bonners Ferry herald. [volume] (Bonners Ferry, Idaho) 1904-current, 1907-11-02
MISCONCEPTIONS.


From time to time for several years
reports have come from New York
State, and especially from the Catskill
region, that fiocks of genuine passenger
pigeons had been seen there. John
Burroughs, the naturalist, has followed
up and, so far as may be, confirmed
these reports, until it seems probable
that in the mountainous district north
west of Kingston there actually exists
an increasing colony Of birds of a
species supposed to have become ex-
tinct.
In the natural history of America
there is no more remarkable story than
that of these beautiful birds which for
merly frequented the entire central
part of the continent in unbelievable
numbers. NOvelists and story-writers
have frequently referred to the old
time pigeon Shoots" and pigeon pie
was favorite dish of our grandfathers
and even of our fathers. The birds
were lessened In number by indiscrim-
mate slaughter for fifty years, a single
dealer, says w. b. Mershon in his book
on the pigeons, having shipped one
hundred and seventy-five thousand live
birds to market from a single nesting
one spring, besides thousands of barrels
of dead birds. This formed but
small part of the catch at that nest
ing.
Probably no more remarkable ac-
count is given by any naturalist than
that of Alexander Wilson, the earliest
of American ornithologists, who visited
In Kentucky westinghouse forty miles
long and several miles wide, in which
every tree held from one to one hun
dred nests, and many trees were broken
down and every growing thing was
killed by the roosting birds.
about one O'clock" says Wilson,
"the pigeons. which 1 had observed the
greater part of the morning flying
northerly, began to return in such i'm
mense numbers as l never before had
witnessed. Coming to an opening by
the side of a creek where 1 had more
uninterrupted view, l was astOnlshed
at their appearance. They were flying
with great steadiness and rapidity at
q height beyond gun-shot, several
strata deep, and so close together that,
could shot have reached them, one dis
charge could not have failed of bring
ing down several individuals.
Prom right to left as far as the
eye could reach, the breadth of this
vast procession extended, seeming
everywhere equally crowded.
Curious to determine how long this
appearance would continue, 1 took out
my watch to note the time and sat
down to observe them. 1t was then
half past one. l sat for more than an
hour, but instead of a diminution of
this prOdigiOus procession, 1t seemed
rather to increase in both numbers and
rapidity; and being anxious to reach
Frankfort before night, rose and went
on.
about four in the afternoon l cross
ed the Kentucky river at the town Of
Frankfort. at which time the living
torrent above my head seemed as nu-
merous and extensive as ever. Long
after this I observed them in large
bodies until six o'clock that evening.
Il have taken from the crop of a
single wild pigeon a good handful OF
the kernels Of beechnuts, acorns and
chestnuts. To form a rough estimate
of the daily consumption of one OF
these immense flocks, let us first at
tempt to calculate the numbers of that
J at Frankfort. IF we suppose this col
umn to have been mile in breadth.
and I believe 1t to have been much
more,-and that it moved at the rate of
a mile a minute. for hours, the time ii
continued passing would make its
, who's length two hundred and forty
miles.
again. supposing each square yard
? of the moving body cOmprehended three
pigeons, the square yards in the whole
space multiplied by three would give
] two billion, two hundred and thirty
million, two hundred and seventy-twC
2 thousand birds, a number probably fan
S below the actual number.
, computing each of these to consume
r half a pint of mast daily, the whole
2 quantity at this rate would equa
: seventeen million. four hundred ant
{ twenty-four thousand bushels of mast
= day.
e Heaven has wisely given these bird:
e rapidlty Of flight and a disposition t,
D range over vast uncultivated tracts
q Otherwise they must have persisted II
r the districts where they resided. or de
o voured up the whole product Of agri
Y culture as well as the products Of tn,
e forests"