OF NEW ENGLAND. 377 



CHAPTER IV. 

 FIFTH ORDER. CoLUMBit:. 



"An essential character," says Dr. Cones, "of birds of this 

 order is seen in the structure of the bill : horny and convex 

 at the tip, somewhat contracted in the continuity, furnished at 

 the base with a soft swollen membrane in w])ich the nostrils 

 open. There are four toes, three anterior, generally cleft, but 

 occasionally with a slight basal web, and one behind, with a 

 few exceptions perfectly insistent or not obviously elevated. 

 The feet are never lengthened ; the tarsus is commonly shorter 

 than the toes, either scutellate or extensively feathered anteri- 

 orlj', reticulate on the sides and behind, the envelope rather 

 membranous than corneous. The plumage is destitute of after- 

 shafts. * * * ." As this order is in North America repre- 

 sented but by one family, the well-known pigeons (including 

 the doves), it is unnecessary to detail further its peculiar 

 features. The two species of New England are excellent 

 types. Their habit, however, of feeding their young by regur- 

 gitation from the crop ma}' here be remarked. 



The true "Game-birds" (Chapter V), all belong to the 

 subclass, Cursores, or " terrestrial birds," and to the two 

 orders, GcdUnce and Grallatores. The Gallince include the 

 grouse, "with the tarsi more or less feathered, and the par- 

 tridges or quail, with naked tarsi. Dr. Cones ranks these as 

 subiamilies, dividing our species into Tetraonince, or true grouse, 

 and Odontoplwrinm, or American partridges. The Grallatores 

 include the Snipe and Woodcock, who both belong to the same 

 family of the suborder Limicolce or shore-birds. (It may be 

 added that the Odoiitojohorince, or Ortyginoi, are usually ranked 

 as subfamilies of the Perdicidce, or partridges, while the grouse 

 are ranked separately as Tetraonidce. This latter arrangement 

 has been followed in this volume.) 



It is to be remarked that the pigeons {Columbidce, § 29) 



