COLUMBIDJE THE PIGEONS. 497 



becoming paler posteriorly; the sides of the neck richly glossed 

 with metallic solferino-purple. The female has the head, foreneck, 

 and jugulum brownish ashy or drab, gradually lightening posteriorly. 



Ectopistes migrator ius (Linn.) 



PASSENGER PIGEON. 



Popular synonym. Wild Pigeon. 



Columba migratoria LINN. S. N. ed. 12, i, 1766, 285. WILS. Am. Orn. 1, 1808, 102, pi. 44. 



flg. 1. NUTT. Man. i, 1832, 629. AUD. Orn. Biog. i, 1831. 319; v. 1839. 561, pi. 62. 

 Ectopistes migratoria Sw. Zool. Jour, iii, 1827, 355. AUD. Synop. 1839, 174; B. Am. v. 

 1842, 26, pi. 285. BAIED, B. N. Am. 1858, 600; Cat. N. Am. B. 1859, No. 448. COUES, Key, 

 1872, 225; Cheek List, 1874, No. 370; 2d ed. 1882, No. 543; B. N. W. 1874, 387. B. B.& E. 

 Hist. N. Am. B. iii, 1874, 808, pi. 57, flg. 4. EIDGW. Norn. N. Am. B. 1881, No. 459. 



HAB. Whole of temperate eastern North America, west to the Kocky Mountains; no 

 extralimital records, except Cuba and England (accidental). IS tragglerto. Western Prov- 

 ince of United States (Nevada, eastern Oregon, etc.). 



SP. CHAR. Adult male. Head and hind-neck bluish plumbeous, lighter on chin; 

 rump bluish plumbeous; back, scapulars, and tertials grayish brown or drab; wings 

 more plumbeous, the innermost coverts, with tertials and outer scapulars, spotted with 

 black. Tail shading from dusky on middle rectrices through gradually lighter slate and 

 ashy to white on lateral feathers; inner web of each feather (except middle pair) with a 

 transverse spot of black, preceded by another of rnfous. Jugulum and breast rich vina- 

 ceous rufous, gradually changing to soft pinkish vinaceous on the sides. Crissum and 

 middle of abdomen white. Hind part and sides of neck with brilliant reflections of 

 metallic solferino-purple, changing to violet, green, golden, etc. Bill black, the cere 

 glaucous whitish, the rictus crimson; iris bright red; legs and feet lake-red. Adult 

 female. Head brownish gray, paler toward throat; jugulum and breast brownish gray 

 or drab, changing to paler brownish gray on sides; metallic reflections on neck less 

 brilliant. Young. Somewhat like the adult female, but the wing-coverts, scapulars, and 

 fea hers of the head, neck, and jugulum tipped with whitish, causing a mottled appear- 

 ance; rusty margins of primaries more distinct, widely bordering the tips of the quills. 

 Bill black, the rictus pinkish; iris brown, with a narrow outer ring of carmine; feet pale 

 livid salmon-pink, the scutellse more brownish; claws blackish. 



Wing, 8. 40-8. 50; tail, 8. 20-8. 60; culmen, .60. -65; tarsus,1.15; middle toe.1.15. 



So much has been written about the extraordinary abundance, in 

 past years, of the Wild Pjgeon, that the subject may seem thread- 

 bare. Still, it is so full of interest, that we quote the following 

 from History of North American Birds (Vol. III., pp. 371-374) : 



"Several writers, who have witnessed the occasionally enormous 

 fl ghts of these Pigeons, have given very full and graphic accounts 

 of their immense numbers that seem hardly credible to those who 

 have not seen them. Mr. Audubon relates that in 1813, on his way 

 from Henderson to Louisville, in crossing the barrens near Hardens- 

 burg, he observed these birds flying to the southwest in greater 

 32 



