The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1910-11-29
ONE WILD PIGEON
 LEFT
Lone Ohio Bird Survives Breed of Billions Other Species Near Extinction Audubon Workers to Re- store Them.

New York, Nov. 29-One solitary passenger pigeon, ending her life at the Geological Garden in Cincinnati, is today. all that remains of an Amer ican species that early in the last century swarmed over the continent in flocks numbering billions, accord ing to reports just received at the headquarters of the National Associ- atiOn of Audubon Societies in this city. With the death of this sole survivor of 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 upon the carcasses they could not carry away. Though it is too late to save this 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 con- tinent by officials of the Audubon as- sociation for relics of the once prolific passenger pigeon. Members of the or ganization headed by Professor c. F.. Hodge of Clark University have made a standing offer of $1,500 to anyone discovering nest of this species, but,
 
 eagerly for .he prize, not one single claimant has appeared In response to a recent inquiry by T. Gilbert Pear son, secretary of the National Associa- tion of Audubon Societies, the author ities of the Cincinnati Zoo have just ic tale of these butchered birds. The Last of the Passenger Pigeonsv is a female, IS years old. whose mate died recently without issue at the age of 24
 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 thick1y covered the trees ever an area 28 miles long and miles wide. Resi- dents of this city declare that in 1850 they flocked over Manhattan Island in such numbers that they obscured 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 observ- ing a roasting place of wild pigeons in Kentucky early in the last century that extended 40 miles and was 8 miles in width. On it's edges men with tered the roasting birds, each often bagging 800 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 years ago it was discovered that only could be found on the whole continent. at Milwaukee and 3 in Cincinnati
 Declaring that practically all the gulls 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 pre- serving dying speciaes of native birds which they have already begun The upland blower, Cabot's tern and the least tern. they assert, can now be saved to the nation by quick emer- gency 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 be undertaken by the Audubon work CTS with the support of the sports men of the country. Sad as is the passing of the passenger pigeon, it's lesson may avert the extinction of other valuable species, it Is declared if the American people rally at once to save their remaining bird re- sources