Overhead, the sky was of a jetty black, and the stars were
brilliantly visible.
The pigeons about this time seeming to undergo much suffering, I
determined upon giving them their liberty. I first untied one of them,
a beautiful gray-mottled pigeon, and placed him upon the rim of the
wicker-work. He appeared extremely uneasy, looking anxiously around
him, fluttering his wings, and making a loud cooing noise, but could
not be persuaded to trust himself from off the car. I took him up at
last, and threw him to about half a dozen yards from the balloon. He
made, however, no attempt to descend as I had expected, but
struggled with great vehemence to get back, uttering at the same
time very shrill and piercing cries. He at length succeeded in
regaining his former station on the rim, but had hardly done so when
his head dropped upon his breast, and be fell dead within the car. The
other one did not prove so unfortunate. To prevent his following the
example of his companion, and accomplishing a return, I threw him
downward with all my force, and was pleased to find him continue his
descent, with great velocity, making use of his wings with ease, and
in a perfectly natural manner.
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