340 COLUMBID^. 



rapidly, and moves through the air with greater velocity. 

 The tints of its plumage are more varied than in the other 

 British species, but far inferior in brilliancy to many 

 foreign ones. 



The Turtle Dove so frequently kept in a cage is the 

 Collared Turtle Dove {Columba risoria), a native of India 

 and China. This species is distinguished by a black 

 crescent on the back of the neck, the horns of -which 

 nearly meet in front. Turtle Doves are much kept in 

 Germany, owing to a strange popular superstition that 

 they are more predisposed than the human species to 

 nervous disorders and rheumatism, and that when any of 

 these complaints visit a house, they fall on the birds rather 

 than on theii' owners. 



PASSENGER PIGEON. 



ECTOPISTES MIGRATORIUS. 



Head aud upper plumage bluish grey ; neck and breast deep chestnut passing 

 through salmon colour to white on the abdomen ; sides of the neck lustrous 

 with green and purple ; tail graduated, with the four middle feathers longest, 

 blackish brown in the middle, white at the sides ; bill black ; irides red ; legs 

 reddish orange ; claws black. Length seventeen inclies. Eggs white. 



This bird has no other claim to be set down as British 

 than such as can be derived from the fact that a few 

 specimens have been seen here at distant intervals of 

 time. It is a native of the New World, and is the subject 

 of some of the most interesting narratives of the American 

 Ornithologists. 



