. Delaware County, New York; history of the century, 1797-1897; centennial celebration, June 9 and 10, 1897. y will remember theflocks of wild pigeons that sometimes in the spring llew overthe valleys. These birds were jDroj^erly called Passenger Pigeons(Ectopistes migratorius). The breeding places of these birds werein the north, sometiiues as far as the Hudson Bay country. Theimmense flocks in which they crossed Delaware county were ontheir way to the breeding grounds. These flocks were sometimeshalf a mile wide and long enough to require two or three hoursto pass over a given place. In Coop
. Delaware County, New York; history of the century, 1797-1897; centennial celebration, June 9 and 10, 1897. y will remember theflocks of wild pigeons that sometimes in the spring llew overthe valleys. These birds were jDroj^erly called Passenger Pigeons(Ectopistes migratorius). The breeding places of these birds werein the north, sometiiues as far as the Hudson Bay country. Theimmense flocks in which they crossed Delaware county were ontheir way to the breeding grounds. These flocks were sometimeshalf a mile wide and long enough to require two or three hoursto pass over a given place. In Coopers Novel of the Puiueers, willbe found a description of a flight of pigeons near Otsego Lake,when the group of characters is represented as killing the birdswith clubs, and guns; and how in their extravagance even acannon loaded with scraps, was tired into the almost interminableflock.* Such migrations of pigeons however have completely the more destructive agencies now made use of, the pigeonlike the buffalo has been almost hunted out of existence. Delaware * See Coopers Pioneers, p. Hor). Sarriuel Sherwood ixniAX occriAxrs: wild ;^r) •coimty sees tlieiu uo more, altbougli titty years aj^o they were ncommon sight which many of the ohl iubahitants will i-emember. Besides the swallows, the robins, the woodjieekers, and otherbirds which were harmless, there were a nuinlii r which wereregarded as the enemies of the farmers and which were always heldas legitimate objects of their skill in gunning. These were: thecrows which fed voraciously on the newly sown grain and againstwhom scarecrows were almost valueless; the hawks, wliich weremarauders of domestic chickens; owls which prowled about thehouses h\ night to hunt for mice and other destructive rodents,l)ut which when tiesh is scarce do not hesitate to help themselves tograin and fruit; and more rarely the eagle which from itstlight inthe air pounced mercilessly upon the young lambs, and even some-ti
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