Ladysmith news-budget. [volume] (Ladysmith, Rusk County, Wis.) 1907-1927, 1911-03-24

birds. In order to get the
reward the person who makes the dis
| covery must leave the nest and the
| birds unmolested and prove the truth OF
| it by making report and giving the sci
entists opportunity to verify the case. -
Magazine and newspaper articles lit ~
orally by the thousands have been writ ~
ten about the disappearance of the
wild pigeons which once, it is al
ways put, "darkened the sun with their
flights" The members of the biolcgi-
cal survey in Washington are specially
interested in the subject Of the disap-
pearance of this bird of passage from
it's wild haunts For years it has been
hoped that nesting pairs might be found
in some part of the country and that
with proper protection the bird might
be restored In part at least to it's place
in nature.
Recently there a story published
to the effect that the birds, weared Of
the constant persecution which met
them in the United States, had changed
the course of their flight and had gone
into Mexico and there were living peace
fully and happily. This story proved to
be absolutely without foundation. Still
another tale was to the effect that the
pigeons had gone into the heart Of South
America and there finding conditions
pleasant were leading a nonmigratory
life. This tale also proved to be en-
tirey fictitious.
In all parts of the southern states in
the winter seasons there are people
watching sharp-eyed for a glimpse Of
the bird that once was a common sight.
In the summer sharp eyes of the north
are constantly on the alert for the same
purpose, but as yet no authentic report
has been received that the bird of mys-
HjCo hoe
scenes familiar through the centuries to
its ancestors.
One Of the scientists most interested
In the search for the wild pigeon Is
Ruthven Deane, fellow of the American
Ornithologists union and president Of
the Illinois Audubon Society for the
Protection of Wild Birds Mr. Deane
virtually has given up all hope that any
nVlng specimen OF the passenger pigeon
ever will be found. but he Is as treless
today as ever in tracing reports of the
BIRDS temperance to their sources.
The offer Of $500 for the discovery of a
nesting pair of the pigeons and their
und1sturbed nest comes from Clifton
Hodge of Clark university, but 500 ad.
dit1onal will be paid for the discovery
or pair of birds and their nest If found
IN the state of Illinois The additional
reward is the joint offer of Mr.. Deane
ana, as remember it, of Professor Whitman
the University of Chicago.
One of the most curious features os -
search for the wild pigeon is the mistakes wifi
are made constantly by men who years a
trapped the pigeons and were as familiar w;
their appearance as they were, and are tod
TOT that matter, with the appearance Of the COZ
mon robin or the dooryard Reports have cor
in from all sections of the country of the rea
pearance Of the pigeon, but on Investigation
invariably has been found that the discoyere
had seen nothing more nor less than the CO.
mon wild dove (venaidura macroura), or mour
ing dove, which Is familiar a bird that
seems almost impossible that any man Of t.
countryside could have failed to overlook it
his constant neighbor and could confuse it wi
Its much larger cousin, the passenger pigeon
other days.
To give an example of how the search Is &C
Quoted for the wild pigeon and how conscientio
ore the scientists in attempting to verify repo1
of its temperance this one instance, taken fro
hundred instances, may be noted. Recently
report from northern Michigan reached the pre-
dent of the Illinois Audubon society that t
passenger pigeon in very truth had reappear
in the vicinity Of club house frequented
fishermen and gunners many Of whom b
known the pigeon well in the old days and W
were certain that in this case they could Il
be mistaken as to the identity of the bird v
itors.
1t was a long journey to the northern Mic
gan club house, but ornitholOgist underto
the trip believing in his heart that finally t
passenger pigeon had been found for he KIN
that the men who had made the report had be
familiar with the bird in the old days and 81
posedly knew the appearance of its every feath
At the end of the journey he told that
pigeons were there and he was led out to S
them. They proved to be mourning doves,
bird common in nearly all parts Of Michig
and in most Of the states of the Union. The d
appointment was keen, and keener in this ca
because this was one report which seemed
have about it every mark Of truth.
When l was a boy I knew the wild pge
fairly we'll. 1t was nothing like as abunds
as it had been in the years gone by. but oc
sionaly small Hocks were seen In the vicinity
my birthplace in the foothills of the Adironda
mountains in central New York. I am sorry
say that shot of the birds before l fu
realized the value Of giving protection to v.
| fishing race The mourning dove | know W
as l know the English sparrow, and think tt
| there is no chance of confusion in my mind
| speeding the identity Of the dove and It's bige
relative, the pigeon 1t Is possible, though
| not sure that such is fact, that / saw the Il
wild pigeon reported in Illinois Others m
have been seen since that time within the b
ders of the state, but If SO l have not seen tn
appearance reported.
At five o'clock on the morning of late Ar
i