The Brattleboro reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1907-1912, 1910-12-23
ONE WILD PIGEON LEFT.
Lone Bird Survives Breed Of Billions
Other Species Disappearing.

One solitary passenger pigeon, ending
her life at the Geological garden IN I'm
cinnati, is today all that remains OF an
American species that early IN the last
century swarmed over the continent IN
flocks numbering billions, according to re-
ports received at the headquarters OF the
National Association of Audubon socle-
ties. With the death of this sole survivor
of a bird tribe whose nesting places often
covered hundreds of square miles, there
will soon disappear the last trace OF the
wild pigeons that have been slaughtered
by the million by men who fed their hogs
unon the carcasses they could not carry
away. Though it is too late to save this
species, special efforts are now, being made
by the Audubon workers to bring about
| the restoration of other birds OF economic
value that must otherwise share the same
| fate.
For MANY months systematic search has
been made throughout the continent by
officials OF the Audubon association for
relics of the once prolific passenger pigeon.
Members of the organization, headed by
Prof. C. f. Hodge, of Clark university,
have made standing offer Of 81 800 to
anyone discovering a nest of this species;
but. though thousands have been trying
eagerly for the prize, not one single claim
ant has appeared. In response to recent
inquiry by T. Gilbert Pearson: secretary
of the National Association Of Audubon
societies the authorities of the Cincin-
natl Zoo have just furnished the last
chapter in the tragic tale of these butch
cred birds The '1ast of the passenger
pigeons is female, Is years old, whose
mate died recently without issue at the
age of "a
As late as 1877 what is now known to
have been the last nesting place of these
wild birds was found in the state OF
Michigan. where their nests thickly COW
cred the trees over an area % miles long
and four miles wide. Residents of this
city declare that in 1850 they foclSed over
Manhattan Island in such numbers that
they obscnred the sun and that ships
loaded in bulk with the bodies Of these
birds lay at the wharves selling them at
a cent apiece Audubon is quoted as OBJ
serving a roosting place of wild pigeons
| in Kentucky early in the last century that
extended 40 miles and three miles in
width. On its edges men with guns, nets,
clubs and torches slaughtered the roostng
birds, each often bagging 500 in one day.
When the wholesale butchers could carry
away no more. they let loose droves of
hogs to fatten on what was left. About
| 1855 this treatment began to thin the
ranks of the passenger pigeons. till two
wears ago il was discovered that only
seven could be found on the whole con-
tinent, four at Milwaukee and three in
Cincinnati. :,
Declaring that practically all the gullss
and terms in America today have survived
solely through the work of protection and
restoration at their reservations, leaders
OF the National Association of Audubon
societies are now appealing to the people
of this country to support the work OF
preserving dying species of native birds
which they have already begun. The. up
land plover, Cabot's tern and the least
tern, they assert, can now be saved to
the nation by quick emergency measures
for which special funds are to be raised:
The work of restoring the wood duck and
other game birds that are threatened
with the fate of the passenger. pigeon is
to he undertaken by the Audubon work