Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1911-03-25

49, the passenger pigeon, ana
finds with 1t the nesting
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, as it is al
ways put, "darkened the sun with their
flights" The members of the biolog1-
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 was a story published
TO the effect that the birds, wearied 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
life. This tale also proved to be en-
tirely fictitious.
In all parts of the southern states in
the winter seasons there are people
watching sharp-eyed for glimpse of
the bird that once common sight
In the summer sharp eyes of the north
are constantly on the alert for the same
purpose, but yet authentic report
has been received that the bird of mys-
FERROUS disappearance has revisited the
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
living specimen of the passenger pigeon
ever will be found. but he is as tireless
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
undISturbed nest comes from Clifton R
Hodge of Clark university, but 500 adj
dIt1onal will be paid for the discovery
of a pair of birds and their nest if found
in the state of Illinois. The additional
reward is the joint offer of Mr. Deane
and, as l remember it. of Professor Whit,
the University of Chicago
One of the most curious features ,
search for the wild pigeon is the mistakes
are made constantly by men who yea1
trapped the pigeons and were as familia
their appearance as they were and are
for that matter, with the appearance of til
mon robin of the dooryard. Reports hay,
in from all sections of the country of tn
pearance of the pigeon, but on investiga
invariably has been found that the disc,
had seen nothing more nor less than tn
mon wild dove (venaidura macroura), or
ing dove, which is so familiar bird
seems almost impossible that any man
countryside could have failed to overlook
his constant neighbor and could confuse
Its much larger cousin, the passenger pis
other days.
To give example of how the search
Quoted for the wild pigeon and how consci
are the scientists in attempting to verify
of its temperance this one instance, take
a hundred instances, may be noted. Rec
report from northern Michigan reached tn
dent of the Illinois Audubon society til
passenger pigeon in very truth had real
in the vicinity of club house frequen
fishermen and gunners, many of who
known the pigeon well in the old days a,
were certain that In this case they CO,
be mistaken as to the identity of the b
itors.
1t was a long journey to the northern
gan club house, but ornithologist un
the trip believing in his heart that hns
passenger pigeon had been found, for h
that the men who had made the report h;
familiar with the bird In the old days a
posedly knew the appearance of its every
At the end of the journey he told
pigeons were there and he was led out
them They proved to be mourning d
bird common in nearly all parts of N
and in most of the states of the Union.
appointment was keen, and keener in Il
because this was one report which see
have about it every mark of truth.
When I a boy | knew the wild
fairly we'll 1t was nothing like as a
as it had been In the years gone, by, b
sionally small focks were seen in the vic
my birthplace in the foothills of the Adj
mountains in central New York. am
say that I shot some of the birds before
realized the value of giving protection tG
fishing race. The mourning dove know
as l know the English sparrow, and tn
there is no chance of confusion in my
speeding the identity of the dove and it
relative, the pigeon 1t is possible, thou
not sure that such is fact, that l saw
wild pigeon reported in Illinois Oths