receive them. Some were furnished with iron pots containing
sulphur, others with torches of pine knots, many with poles, and the rest
with guns. The sun was lost to our view, yet not a pigeon had arrived.
Everything was ready, and all eyes were gazing on the clear sky, which
appeared in glimpses amidst the tall trees. Suddenly there burst forth the
general cry of, "Here they come!"

13. The noise which they made, though yet distant, reminded me of a hard
gale at sea passing through the rigging of a close-reefed vessel. As the
birds arrived and passed over me, I felt a current of air that surprised
me. Thousands were soon knocked down by the pole men. The birds continued
to pour in. The fires were lighted, and a magnificent as well as wonderful
and almost terrifying sight presented itself.

14. The pigeons, arriving by thousands, alighted everywhere, one above
another, until solid masses, as large as hogsheads, were formed on the
branches all round. Here and there the perches gave way under the weight
with a crash, and falling to the ground destroyed hundreds of the birds
beneath, forcing down the dense groups with which every stick was loaded.
It was a scene of uproar and confusion. I found it quite useless to speak
or even to shout to those persons who were nearest to me. Even the reports
of the guns were seldom heard, and I was made aware of the firing only by
seeing the shooters reloading.

15. The uproar continued the whole night; and as I was anxious to know to
what distance the sound reached, I sent off a man, accustomed to
perambulate the forest, who, returning two hours afterwards, informed me
he had heard it distinctly when three miles distant from the spot. Towards
the approach of day, the noise in some measure subsided; long before
objects were distinguishable, the pigeons began to move off in a direction
quite different from that in which they had arrived the evening before,
and at sunrise all that were able to fly had disappeared.

DEFINITIONS.--5. A-e'ri-al, belonging or pertaining to the air. 6. A-non',
in a short time, soon. 8. Mast, the fruit of oak and beech or other forest
trees. 10. Ren'dez-vous (pro. ren'de-voo), an appointed or customary
place of meeting. Sub'se-quent, following in time. 15. Per-am'bu-late, to
walk through.

NOTES.--The wild pigeon, in common with almost every variety of game, is
becoming more scarce throughout the country each year; and Audubon's
account, but for the posi