4
THE RALEIGH ENTERPRISE.
Thursday, September 2tf, 1904.
The Passanger or Wild Pigeon.
BY WILLIAM DCTCHER.
Chairman, Protection Committee of the
American Ornithologists' Union.
DESCRIPTION.
Distinguishing Characters. Size
large, length 15 to 17 inches ; tail
long and pointed, length, 8.50 inches;
resembling in general appearance the
Mourning or Carolina Dove, but
much larger, and flight said not to
be accompanied by a whistling sound.
Adult Male. Upper parts bluish
slate color, middle of the back brown
er; sides of the head bluish slate
color of the same shade as the crown
chin somewhat paler ; no black mark
behind the ears ; wing-coverts slaty
blue like the rump, the tertials and
their coverts browner and with black
spots ; primaries blackish and ex
ternally margined with brownish ;
central pair of tail-feathers blackish,
all the other white or pearly white
at end half, becoming grayer toward
the base, where they are marked with
black and often chestnut; under parts
rich brownish pink, becoming white
on the lower abdomen and under tail
coverts ; chin, upper throat and sides
of the throat bluish slate-color, sides
of the neck like breast but with irri
descent reflections spreading to the
hindneck; bill black, feet reddish.
Adult Female. Differs from the
male in having the middle of the
back, crown and wings brownish (the
rump, however, remaining bluish
slate), more black marks in the wings,
the chin much whiter, the Underparts
paler, brownish with little or no
pinkish tinge, the irridescence at the
side of the neck less pronounced, the
central pair of tail-feathers brown
er, the others somewhat grayer.
Young. Young birds of both sexes
resemble in plumage the adult fe
male, but the feathers of the crown,
foreback, sides of the breast and
sides of the neck, the wing-coverts
and tertials are tipped with whitish
or brownish, the primaries are broad
ly edged and tipped with rusty
brown, the outer tail-feathers are
grayer.
Remarks. The only other member
of the order Cloumbae for which
Passanger Pigeon could be mistaken
is the Mourning or Carolina Dove.
The pigeon, however, is much larg
er, the adult male is much pinker
below, and in both sexes of the pigeon
the rump is bluish slate instead of
brownish as in the dove's while the
pigeon's outer tail-feathers are broad
ly tipped with white and the dove's
more narrowly with gray. Further
more, the small, black mark present
behind the ear in the dove is wanting
in the pigeon. ( See Educational
Leaflet No. 2, The Mourning Dove.)
Alexander Wilson, the "Father of
American Ornithology," estimated
that a flock of wild pigeons seen by
him near Frankfort, Ken., about
1808, contained at least 2,230,272,000
individuals. Audubon writes that in
1805 he saw schooners at the wharves
in New York City loaded in bulk
with wild pigeons, caught up the
Hudson River, which were sold at
one cent each.
The late George N. Lawrence tells
of the great flights of pigeons that
annually passed over New York City
as late as 1850. Tie says: "We
could see flocks consisting of from
twenty-five to over a hundred pigeons
come sweeping down over the tree
tops seemingly at a speed of seventy
five miles an hour. The flocks follow
ed each other in quick succession.
On the present site of General
Grant's tomb was an old country-seat
known, as 'Claremont.' From the top
of this house, during one of these
great flights, of pigeons, the owner
killed a hundred or more one morn
ing. The writer, during the past
forty years has studied the birds of
the vicinity of New York, and in all
that, period has seen only one live
wild pigeon. The writer's father,
who lived at Tarrytown, N. Y., in his
boyhood, has often told of the enorm
ous flocks of pigeons he saw there,
so frat that in passing overhead
the sun was darkened as by a rain
cloud and the noise of their wings
was like thunder."
To-day the wild pigeon is so rare
that the observation of a single in
dividual is considered noteworthy.
The species continued abundant
until about 1860, when, as a result
of increasing slaughter for food, it
began rapidly to diminish in num
bers, and no large flocks has been re
corded since 1888. Frank M. Chap
man tells me that as late as July,
1881, he saw wild pigeons used in
large numbers at a trap-shooting
tournament held near New York
City. The birds had been netted
in the West and were often so help
less from their confinement in foul
cages that they were unable to fly.
William Brewster writes that in 1870
or 1877 there was a pigeon-nesting
near Petosky, Mich., which was twenty-eight
miles long and averaged four
miles in width. The disappearance
of so abundant a creature in so com
paratively short time is a surprising
illustration of man's power in the
animal world, when, for any reason,
his forces are directed toward a cer
tain end.
Wild pigeons lived in flocks at all
seasons, nesting, roosting and feed
ing in enormous bodies. Wilson
mentions a nesting colony which was
several miles in breadth and upwards
of miles in extent! The birds chose
preferably beech woods, and as many
as ninety nests have been counted in
a single tree. The flock previously
mentioned, estimated to contain over
two billion individuals, stretched
from horizon to horizon, as far as
the eye could reach in every direc
tion, and was four hours in passing
a given point. At all seasons, wheth
er migrating, roosting or nesting,
pigeons were subject to attack by
man. Their migrations were govern
ed largely by the food supply, acorns
and beech-nuts constituting their
chief fare, and when they appeared
at a certain place their destruction
became the object of the day. Many
were shot, but by far the larger num
ber were netted with the aid of live
decoys. Wilson tells of thirty dozen
birds being captured at one spring
of the net. Audubon states that he
knew a man who, in Pennsylvania,
netted 500 dozen pigeons in one day.
When roosting, pigeons were at
tacked by men with guns, poles, clubs,
and even pots of sulphur, the wagon
loads of birds were killed nightly.
Similar methods of destruction were
employed when theb irds were nest
ing. At this season the squabs were
especially desired, and the trees were
shaken or felled to obtain them.
When the wants of the hunters had
been supplied, droves of hogs were
released beneath the nesting trees to
feed on the birds remaining. At one
of the last large known pigeons "nest
ings near Petosky, Mich., in 1878,
it is estimated that one billion birds
were killed during the season.
This, in brief, is the story of the
destruction of the wild pigeon, whose
remarkably rapid extermination is
paralleled only by that of the Ameri-,
can bison. During the period of its
abundance the wild pigeon was dis
tributed throughout the greater part
of eastern North America, from the
Hudson Bay region southward to
Florida, and casually westward to
British Columbia. ' To-day an occa
sional individual is observed at inter
vals in the Atlantic States, and in
the middle and upper Mississippi
Valley they are seen more frequent
ly. Reports of their presence in
large numbers on the Pacific Coast
or in various parts of the tropica
prove to be based on other species
of pigons.
Physicians recommend Vurnake's
ice cream as the purest and the
best.
Meet me at Vurnakes Ice Cream
Parlor.
The place to eat Star Lunch.
Meals Berved at any hour. Lunches
and soft drinks. Full line best brands
of cigars and tobacco. Prompt, po
llte service.
ocooooooooooooosooooososx
H. J. BROWN COFFIN HOUSE,
(Incorporated.)
JOHN W. BROWN, Pres.
Funeral Director
and Embalmer,
206-208 South Salisbury Street and
ioi West Eargett Street.
Raleigh and Interstate 'Phones
611
f JOAN U. SMITH,
K RALEIGH, N. C.
S
..143
... 336
We pay the highest cash prices for
Green or Dry HIDUS, Furs, Featheis
etc
W. MOORE,
1 16 1 18 E. Hargett St. Successor to
E H. Love.
GO TO THE
BARH AM HOUSE
AT FUQUAY SPRINGS, N. C,
For Health, Convenience and Comfort.
Rateb. 81.00 per day or $6,00 per week.
R. 8. BARHAM, Proprietor,
Fuqnay SpringB, N. C
CMMLETS sk Big Store
OVER 30 DEPARTMENTS.
326, 328, 330, 332 Fayetteville Street, Raleigh, North Carolina.
We Have the Goods You Want $
At the Price You Want to Pay. $
I Try Us for Fall Underwear, Clothing, Shoes.
3
Dunsmore Business
STAUNTON, VA.,
I Begins Its Thirtu-third Session September 1, 1904,
M This School Is reliable, does Just as It promises, and Its graduates are sought after
n far and near. Send for catalogue and testimonials that establish the facts stated.
V Rates and Terms Very Reasonable.
Capital Stock, $30,000.
. When you think of going ofl to school
Business write for college Journal and Special
Offer of the Leading Business and Shorthand
Schools. Address King's Business College,
Raleigh, N. C, or Charlotte, N. C. We also
teach Bookkeeping, Shorthand, etc., by mail.
RALEIGH
MALE ACADEMY.
THOROUGH PREPARATORY
COURSE FOR BOYS.
Small classes and close individual at
tention, especially in elementary work.
Twenty-sixth annual session begins
September 4th, 1904.
For catalogue cr other information ad
dress HUGH MORSON, Principal,
Raleigh, N. C.
THS
Educational Bureau
(ESTABLISHED 1891.)
Secures positions for teachers. Head
quarters for School Furniture and Sup
plies. References given.
CHAS. J, PARKER, Gen, Manager, Raleigh.
Need Glasses ?
WHEN IN NEED OF GLASSES !
CALL AT
i fl. M AHLER'S SONS!
Jewelers and Opticians.
110 W. Main St., - - Durham, N. C.
Eyes examined free by a doctor of fl
r optics. .Established 1838. n
W. C. mcMachin, V.S.
Member of the North Carolina
Veterinary and Medical Asso'n,
RALEIGH, N. C.
Office and Hospital, 110 H. Salisbury Street.
Interstate Telephone, No-267.
LEONARD. L. HUNTER $
Architect f
8 4 C's mag.. : CHARLOTTE, N. C.
8 DRAWINGS and
Specifications
X For all classes of buildings. Write me. 8
SSOSOSOOOSGGCOOOOGOSOSOD
L. G. GILL
Fraps Bldg., . . ... R A. LEIGH, N. C.
CLOTHES PRESSEP,
CLEANED OR ALTERED
at short notice. Dyeing a specialty. Satis
faction guaranteed.
mm
TRADEMARKS
DESIGNS, COPYRIGHTS
Send model, drawing1 or photo,
with description. We advise, If
patentable or not, FREE. Send
for eur SPECIAL OFFER 10 INVENT
0RS before applying for a patent,
it will pay you. All branches of
tt cs .A i,..u Patnnta . Pat-
ents taken throughout office adver
tised for sale at our expense.
HANDBOOK on patents sent FREE.
W0RMELLE & VAN MATER,
' Managers,
Columbia Copyright & Pat. Co. Inc.,
WASHINGTON, D. C.