FAM. XXXI. PIGEONS 217 



tips. The neck has a metallic iridescence, and a velvety black 

 spot on the sides. Though the bird is often found on the 

 branches of trees, it spends most of its time on the ground. 



Length, 10^, ; wing, 6|; tail, 4} ; culinen, |. Florida Keys, Bahamas, 

 West Indies, and coast of Yucatan. 



6. White-fronted Dove (318. Leptdtila fulviv4ntris hrachyp- 

 tera). — An extreme southern, large, silky, brownish-olive- 

 backed dove, with much of the head and neck iridescently 

 coppery-purplish, but the forehead white, and the top of the 

 head bluish with a "bloom." Belly and chin are pure white, 

 fore breast wine-color, and other under parts more or less shaded 

 with the tint of the back. The outer (under) tail feathers are 

 slate-colored, tipped Avith white. 



Length, 12; wing, 6^; tail, 4| ; tarsus, 1]; culmen, |. Mexico and 

 Central America, north to southern Texas. 



7. White-winged Dove (319. Melup^Ua leucdptera). — An ex- 

 treme southwestern, common, generally bluish-ashy dove, with 

 a large Avhite blotch on the wings, which are formed of the 

 wing coverts and the tips of the secondary quills. The mid- 

 dle tail feathers are much like those of the back, but the 

 outer (under) ones are slaty, with conspicuous white tips. The 

 sides of the head and neck are iridescent with golden-green, 

 and marked with a steel-blue spot. The wing quills are 

 mainly black, but somewhat white-edged. 



Length, 12 ; wing, 6^ (6J-6|) ; tail, 4| ; tarsus, | ; culmen, }. South- 

 ern border of the United States, Florida, Texas, Arizona, and south- 

 ward to Central America and the West Indies ; straggling north to 

 Colorado. 



8. Ground Dove (320. Columbigairina passerhia terrestris). — 

 A common, very small, southern, ground-living, grayish-olive- 

 backed, purplish-red-bellied dove, with a gloss of blue on the 

 head and neck. Female grayish below instead of purplish. 

 This fearless bird can be found almost everywhere in the 

 south, from city streets to dense pine growths, but is more 

 common near the coast. 



