THE WILD PIGEON. 373 



SUB-ORDER COLUMB^. 



The basal portion of the bill covered by a soft skin, in which are situated the 

 nostrils, overhung by an incumbent tleshy valve, the apical portion hard and con- 

 vex; the hind toe on the same level with the rest; the anterior toe without mem- 

 brane at the base; tarsi more or less naked; covered laterally and behind with 

 hexagonal scales. 



Family COLUMBID^. The Doves. 



Bill homy at the tip; tail feathers twelve, only occasionally fourteen; head 

 smooth. 



Sub-Family Columbine. 



Tarsi stout, short, with transverse scutelliB anteriorly; feathered for the basal 

 third above, but not at all behind; toes lengthened, the lateral decidedh' longer than 

 the tarsus; wings lengthened and pointed; size large; tail feathers twelve. 



This section of doves embraces the largest North-American species, and among 

 them the more arboreal ones. 



ECTOPISTES, SwAiNsoN. 



Ectopistes, SwAixsoN, Zool. Jour., III. (1827) 362. (Type Columha migratoria, L.; 



Head very small; bill short, black; culmen one-third the rest of the head; tarsi 

 very short, half covered anteriorly bj' feathers; inner lateral claw much larger than 

 outer, reaching to the base of the middle one; tail very long and excessively 

 cuneate; about as long as the wings; first primary longest. 



This genus is readil}' distinguished from the other Columbinm by the excessively 

 lengthened and acute middle feathers. It formerly included the Coluntha Caroli- 

 nensis ; but this, with more proprietj', has been erected into a different genus, and 

 will be found in the next section. 



ECTOPISTES MIGEATORIA. — Swainson. 



The Wild Pigeon; Passenger Pigeon. 



Columba migratoria, Linnaeus. Syst. Nat., I. (1766) 285. Wils. Am. Om., I 

 (1808) 102. Aud. Orn. Biog., L (1831) 319; V. 661. 



£ctopistes migratoria, Swainson. Zool. Jour., III. (1827) 355. 



Description. 

 Tail with twelve feathers; upper parts generally, including sides of body, head, 

 and neck, and the chin, blue; beneath, purple brownish-red, fading behind with a 



