The Nezperce herald. (Nezperce, Idaho) 1900-1957, 1908-10-15

1Aa.--.


.
State, and especially irom fhe
region. tiat locks d genuine liaf.asrr.
pigeons had been seen i.tfr joan
burroughs, the naturalist sls niinwel
up and. 80 FAR rs may De- co1lrme1
these reports. uuiil II secins proDabie
that IN the mountainous disiris1 north
west OF Kingston the fualis exists
an Increasing colon ~ binis Of a
species supposed to have become ex-
finct
In the natural history Of america
there Is no more remarkable story than
that Of these beautiful birds which Tor
merly frequented the entire central
part Of the continent "a unbelievable
numbers NOreiists aud sfOry-wriiers
have frequently referred 10 the old
time pigeon Shoots" aud pigeon pie
was a fayOrite dish Of our grandiathers
and even OF our fathers. The birds
were lessened Ia number by lndisrin-
mate slaughter for fifty years. single
dealer. says W. b. Mershon Ia bis book
on the pigeons. having shipped one
hundred and seyenty-nFe thousand live
birds to market from a single nesting
one spring. besides thousands Of barrels
Of dead birds. This formed but a
small part OF the catch at that nest
Ing.
Probably no more remarkable ae-
count Is given By any naturalist than
that Of Alexander Wilson, the earliest
OF American ornithologists. who visited
In Kentucky a nestingpiace 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 aud every growing thing was
killed By the rOosting birds
about one O'Clock" says Wilson.
~the pigeons. which l had observed the
greater part Of the morning flying
northe1y. began to return in such inn
nense numbers as ! never before had
witnessed Coming 10 an opening by
the side Of creek where ! had more
uninterrupted view. l was astonisbed
al their appearance. They were dying
with great steadiness and rapidly al
a height beyond gun-shot, several
strata Deep and 80 close together that.
could shot have reached them. one dis
charge could not have failed Of bring
ing down several individuals.
From right TO left as FAR as the
eye could reach. the breadth OF this
vast procession extended. seeming
everywhere equally crowded
Curious 10 determine how long this
appearance would continue. took out
my watch 10 note the time and sat
down 10 observe them. II was then
half past one. I sat for more than an
hour. but instead OF a diminution Of
this prOdigious procession. Il seemed
rather 10 Increase In both numbers and
rapidly: and being anxious to reach
Frankfort before night. rose and went
on.
About four in the afternoon cross
ID the Kentucky river at the town Of
at which time the living
torrent above my head seemed as nn-
merous and extensive as ever. Long
after this observed them In large
,odies until six O'Clock that evening
Il have taken from the crop OF a
single wild pigeon good handful OF
he kernels OF beechnuts acorns and
.hestnufs To form a rough estimate
u the daily consumption OF one OF
hose immense docks. let us first at
empt TO calculate the numbers OF that
4 Frankfort II NE suppose this col Z
INN 10 have been mile IN breadth. 4
md l believe II TO have been much
nore.-and that Il moved az the rate OF |
mile a minute. for hours. the time II
ontinued passing would make its
rhos- length two hundred and forty Z
niles.
again. supposIng each square yard '
Z the moving body comprehended three
Igeons. the square yards in the whole {
pace multiplied by three would give Q
wo billion. two hundred and thirty
hilton. two hundred and seventy-two
1ousand birds a number probably far {
Glow the actual number. !
Computing each OF these 10 consume
alt a pint OF mast daily. the whole e
uantity at this rate would equal e
sventeen million. four hundred and {
yenty-four thousand bushels OF mast {
day. p
"IIcaven has wisely given these birds d
lpidity OF flight and a disposition to a
lnge over vast uncultlvated tracts
therwlSe they must have persisted in
lc districts where they resided. or de-
,ured up the whole product Of agri- !
llture as well as the products Of the