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T H E K E Y W E S T P I G E O N .
COLUMBA MONTANA, LlNN.
P L A T E C L X V I I . MALE AND FEMALE.
I T was at Key West that I first saw this beautiful Pigeon. The
Marion was brought to anchor close to, and nearly opposite, the little
town of the same name, some time after the setting of the sun. The few
flickering lights I saw nearly fixed the size of the place in my imagination.
In a trice, the kind captain and I were seated in his gig, and I felt the
onward movement of the light bark as if actually on wing, so well timed
was the pulling of the brave tars who were taking us to the shore. In
this place I formed acquaintance with Major GLASSEL of the United
States Artillery, and his family, of Dr BENJAMIN S T ROB E L , and several other
persons, to whom I must ever feel grateful for the kind attention which
they paid to me and my assistants, as well as for the alacrity with which
they aided me in procuring rare specimens not only of birds, but also of
shells and plants, most of which were unknown to me. Indeed—I cannot
too often repeat it—the facilities afforded me by our Government,
during my latter journeys and voyages, have been so grateful to my feelings,
that I have frequently thought that circumstance alone quite sufficient
to induce even a less ardent lover of nature to exert himself to the
utmost in repaying the favour.
Major GLASSEL sent one of his Serjeants with me to search the whole
island, with which he was perfectly acquainted. The name of this soldier
was SYKF.S, and his life, like mine, had been a chequered one ; for there
are few pleasures unaccompanied with pains, real or imaginary, and the
worthy sergeant had had his share of both. I soon discovered that he
was a perfect woodsman, for although we traversed the densest thickets,
in close and gloomy weather, he conducted me quite across the island, in
as masterly a manner as ever did an Indian on a like occasion.—But perhaps,
kind reader, a copy of my journal for that day, may afford you a
clearer idea of our search for rare birds, than any other means that I
could devise. Before I proceed, however, allow me to state, that, while
at Charleston, in South Carolina, I saw at my friend BACHMAN'S house
K E Y W E S T P I G E O N . 383
the head of a Pigeon which Dr STROBEL had sent from Key West, and
which I perceived did not belong to the Zenaida Dove. Serjeant SYKKS
had seen the Pigeon, and acquainted as he was with the birds of the
country, he gave some hope that we might procure a few of them that
very day ;—and now, for my Journal.
" May 6. 1832.—When I reached the garrison, I found the sergeant
waiting for me. I gave him some small shot, and we set off, not in full
run, nor even at a dog-trot, but with the slowness and carefulness usually
employed by a lynx or a cougar when searching for prey. We soon
reached the thickets, and found it necessary to move in truth very slowly,
one foot warily advanced before the other, one hand engaged in opening
a passage, and presently after occupied in securing the cap on the
head, in smashing some dozens of hungry musquitoes, or in drawing the
sharp thorn of a cactus from a leg or foot, in securing our gun-locks, or
in assisting ourselves to rise after a fall occasioned by stumbling against
the projecting angle of a rock. But we pushed on, squeezed ourselves
between the stubborn branches, and forced our way as well as we could,
my guide of course having the lead. Suddenly I saw him stoop, and observing
the motion of his hand, immediately followed his example. Reduced
by his position to one half of his natural height, he moved more
briskly, inclined to the right, then to the left, then pushed forward, and
raising his piece as he stopped, immediately fired. " I have it,'1 cried he.
" What ?" cried I. " The pigeon""—and he disappeared. The heat was
excessive, and the brushwood here was so thick and tangled, that had not
Mr SYKES been a United States soldier, I should have looked upon him
as bent on retaliating on behalf of " the eccentric naturalistfor, although
not more than ten paces distant from me, not a glimpse of him
could I obtain. After crawling to the spot I found him smoothing the
feathers of a Pigeon which I had never seen, nay the most beautiful yet
found in the United States. How I gazed on its resplendent plumage!
how I marked the expression of its rich-coloured, large and timid eye, as
the poor creature was gasping its last breath !—Ah, how I looked on this
lovely bird ! I handled it, turned it, examined its feathers and form, its
bill, its legs and claws, weighed it by estimate, and after a while formed
a winding sheet for it of a piece of paper. Did ever an Egyptian pharmacopolist
employ more care in embalming the most illustrious of the
Pharaohs, than I did in trying to preserve from injury this most beautiful
of the woodland cooers!