The new era., 1911-03-30

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
1t by making report and giving the sci
entists an 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 1t is al
ways put, "darkened the sun with their
flights" The members Of the biologt-
cal survey in Washington are specially
interested In the subject OF the disap-
pearance of this bird Of passage from
its wild haunts. For years 1t 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 its place
In nature.
Recently there 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 to the effect that the
pigeons had gone into the heart of South
America and there finding conditions
pleasant were leading nonmigratory
life. This tale also proved to be
tirely fictitious.
In all parts of the southern states in
the winter seasons there 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-
terious 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
Ptoday as ever in tracing reports of the
birds temperance to their sources
The offer Of $400 for the discovery of a
nesting pair OF the pigeons and their
und1sturbed nest comes from Clifton R.
Hodge of Clark university, but s1OO ad-
ditional will be paid for the discovery
OF 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 remember 1t, of Professor Whitman
the University of Chicago.
one or the most curious features of n
search for the wild pigeon is the mistakes wbi
are made constantly by men who years n,
trapped the pigeons and were as familiar wi
their appearance as they were and are tod,
for that matter. with the appearance of the CO,
mon robin of the dooryard. Reports have con
In from all sections of the country of the rea
pearance Of the pigeon, but on investigation
invariably has been found that the discoye-e
had seen nothing more nor less than the col
mon wild dove (venaidura macroura) or mour
ing dove. which is SO familiar a bird that
seems almost impossible that any man of Il
countryside could have failed to overlook 1t
his constant neighbor and could confuse 1t wi
its much larger cousin, the passenger pigeon
other days.
To give an example of how the search is co
Quoted for the wild pigeon and how conscientio
are the scientists in attempting to verify repor
of its temperance this one instance, taken fro
q hundred instances may be noted. Recently
report from northern Michigan reached the pre-
dent OF the Illinois Audubon society that Il
Assenger pigeon in very truth had reappear
ID the vicinity OF club house frequented
~ (ermen and gunners, many of whom h;
known the pigeon well in the old days and wi
.s~sere certain that in this case they could n
be mistaken as to the identity of the bird "
itors.
1t was a long Journey to the northern Mcl
gan club house, but ornithologist undertot
the trip believing in his heart that finally Il
passenger pigeon had been found, for he kne
that the men who had made the report had be,
familiar with the bird in the old days and su
posedly knew the appearance of its every feathe
At the end Of the Journey he told that Il
pigeons were there and he led out to 8
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
Ahave about 1t every mark of truth.
II When l was boy / knew the wild piget
Aairly well. 1t nothing like as abunda
MI 8 It had been in the years gone by, but occ
Il llonally small focks were seen in the vicinity
My birthplace in the foothills Of the Adironda,
gH ountains in central New York. l am sorry
sA " that I shot some Of the birds before full
nv allied the value of giving protection to a va
N(yaing race. The mourning dove know We
m know the English sparrow, and think tn
KIM re is no chance Of confusion in my mind
|(e citing the identity Of the dove and its bigg
''tT tive, the pigeon. 1t is possible, though a
S6 sure that such is fact, that saw the la
lTvI pigeon reported in Illinois Others mt
1--WE been seen since that time within the be
8 RS of the state. but II SO have not seen the
appearance reported.