Changes

:''"Every thing was ready, and all eyes were gazing on the clear sky, which appeared in glimpses amidst the tall trees. Suddenly there burst forth a general cry of "Here they come!" 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. The Pigeons, arriving by thousands, alighted everywhere, one above another, until solid masses 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."''[http://www.ecotopia.org/about/pigeon.html]

:''"Every thing was ready, and all eyes were gazing on the clear sky, which appeared in glimpses amidst the tall trees. Suddenly there burst forth a general cry of "Here they come!" 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. The Pigeons, arriving by thousands, alighted everywhere, one above another, until solid masses 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."''[http://www.ecotopia.org/about/pigeon.html]

Muir also witnessed large-scale hunting of these birds.  The young United States was moving west on the tracks of the new railroad, settling in newly-created towns and cities, and to feed them all required a lot of food, much of which was readily available in pigeons.  Hunters went into the woods, already thick with pigeons; they used shotguns, lit fires underneath the trees, or simply knocked them out of the branches with long poles.  In cities like New York, ''squab'' was selling at a rate of 18,000 a day [http://aristotle.net/~swarmack/pigeon.html].  So many were killed that Audubon wrote "The pigeons were picked up and piled in heaps, until each [hunter] had as many as he could possibly dispose of, when the hogs were let loose to feed on the remainder"[http://www.stanford.edu/group/stanfordbirds/text/essays/Passenger_Pigeon.html].  By 1850 a decline in the number of flocks was noticed.  With the hunting came the loss of habitat; hardwood forests on the east coast were felled in so many large areas that, concurrent with the hunting, the passenger pigeon was considered extinct east of the Appalachian Mountains.

Muir also witnessed large-scale hunting of these birds.  The young United States was moving west on the tracks of the new railroad, settling in newly created towns and cities, and to feed them all required a lot of food, much of which was readily available in pigeons.  Hunters went into the woods, already thick with pigeons; they used shotguns, lit fires underneath the trees, or simply knocked them out of the branches with long poles.  In cities like New York, ''squab'' was selling at a rate of 18,000 a day [http://aristotle.net/~swarmack/pigeon.html].  So many were killed that Audubon wrote "The pigeons were picked up and piled in heaps, until each [hunter] had as many as he could possibly dispose of, when the hogs were let loose to feed on the remainder"[http://www.stanford.edu/group/stanfordbirds/text/essays/Passenger_Pigeon.html].  By 1850 a decline in the number of flocks was noticed.  With the hunting came the loss of habitat; hardwood forests on the east coast were felled in so many large areas that, concurrent with the hunting, the passenger pigeon was considered extinct east of the Appalachian Mountains.

In 1878, the last great hunt occurred near Petoskey, Michigan [http://www.bookrags.com/research/passenger-pigeon-enve-02/], in which over three million birds were taken at a rate of 50,000 per day.  The later hunts were fewer, but better-coordinated; hunters would have the advantage of the telegraph and a dedicated watch for flocks.

In 1878, the last great hunt occurred near Petoskey, Michigan [http://www.bookrags.com/research/passenger-pigeon-enve-02/], in which over three million birds were taken at a rate of 50,000 per day.  The later hunts were fewer, but better-coordinated; hunters would have the advantage of the telegraph and a dedicated watch for flocks.

==Extinction==

==Extinction==

In the late 1890's, state lawmakers passed laws calling for a ten-year moratorium on pigeon hunting; some passed laws calling for penalties against hunters.  By then it was too late.  In addition to over-hunting and the loss of woodland habitat, the pigeons fell victim to their own breeding habits: they could not successfully breed unless they were in large flocks.  Rewards were offered for the collection of live pigeons to supplement the few in captivity; however, there was still some price on the heads of those needed for food.  The last confirmed passenger pigeons in the wild were shot at Babcock, Wisconsin in 1899, and in Pike County, Ohio on March 24, 1900.  

In the late 1890s, state lawmakers passed laws calling for a ten-year moratorium on pigeon hunting; some passed laws calling for penalties against hunters.  By then it was too late.  In addition to over-hunting and the loss of woodland habitat, the pigeons fell victim to their own breeding habits: they could not successfully breed unless they were in large flocks.  Rewards were offered for the collection of live pigeons to supplement the few in captivity; however, there was still some price on the heads of those needed for food.  The last confirmed passenger pigeons in the wild were shot at Babcock, Wisconsin in 1899, and in Pike County, Ohio on March 24, 1900.  

This left three in captivity, all in Cincinnati, two males, and a female named Martha.  She out-lived the others by a number of years before dying at 1:00 pm on September 1, 1914, the only extinction of a species that has been documented to the time and date.  A $1,000 reward offered by the zoo for a mate went unclaimed.

This left three in captivity, all in Cincinnati, two males, and a female named Martha.  She out-lived the others by a number of years before dying at 1:00 pm on September 1, 1914, the only extinction of a species that has been documented to the time and date.  A $1,000 reward offered by the zoo for a mate went unclaimed.