COLUMBA LEUCOCEPHALA. 



WHITE-CROWNED PIGEON. 



[Plate XVII. Fig. 1.] 



Columba leucocephala, Linn. Syst. i., p. 281, Sp. 14. Gmel. Syst. i., p. 772, Sp. 14 

 Lath. Ind. p. .594, Sp. 5. Temm. Ind. Col. in Hist. Pig. et Gall, i., p. 459. Vieill. 

 Gal. Ois. II., p. 331, PI. 194. — Columba minor leucocoryphas, Raii, Syn. p. 63, 

 Sp. 16, and p. 184, Sp. 24. Klein, Av. p. 120, Sp. 18. — Columba saxatilis 

 jamaicensis, Briss. Orn. i., p. 137, Sp. 33. Id. 8vo. i., p. 34. — Columba capite 

 albo, The White-crowned Pigeon, Catesby, Car. i., p. 23. PI. 25. Seligman, Saml. 

 Self. Vog. II., col. plate. — Le Pigeon deroche de la Jamaique, Buff. Ois. u., p. 

 529. Sonn. Buff, yu., ip. 2\6. — Colombe a calotte blanche, Temm. Hist. Pig. et 

 Gall. I., p. 204. Id. folio PI. 13 of the second family. 



This bird has been already alluded to in our first volume, when 

 pointing out the diflference between it and the new Columba faseiata of 

 Say. We were then far from supposing that we should so soon have to 

 become its historian, but having ascertained that it inhabits Florida, as 

 well as the West Indies, we are enabled to give it a place in these 

 pages. A glance at the plate will now render the difference strikingly 

 obvious to the American student, who will thus perceive, better than 

 can be explained by words, how entirely distinct the above named 

 species is from the present'. 



The White-crowned Pigeon, well known as an inhabitant of Mexico 

 and the West Indies, is likewise found in great numbers on some of the 

 Florida Keys, such as Key Vacas and others, early in spring, where it 

 feeds almost exclusively on a kind of wild fruit, usually called beach 

 plum, and some few berries of a species of palmetto that appears to be 

 peculiar to those keys. It is also extensively spread in Jamaica and 

 St. Domingo, and is very abundant in the island of Porto Rico, frequent- 

 ing deep woods, and breeding on rocks, whence they are called by some 

 Rock Pigeons. They are very numerous on all the Bahama Islands, 

 and form an important article of food with the inhabitants, particularly 

 when young, being then taken in great quantities from the rocks where 

 they breed. On the Florida Keys also they breed in large societies, 

 and the young are much sought after by the wreckers. They there 

 feed principally on berries, and especially on those of a tree called 

 sweet-wood. When the fruit of this is ripe they become fat and well 

 flavored, but other fruits again make their flesh very bitter. 



Buffon, in accordance with his whimsical idea of referring foreign 

 species to those of Europe, considers the present as a variety of the 

 Biset [Columba livia, Briss.). To that bird it is in fact allied, both in 



(292) 



