columbid^—columbinjE: arboreal pigeons. 709 



of them, Carpophaga, with 6 subgenera), 59 living species. All are commonly called " Fruit 

 Pigeons.") 



5. All remaining members of the suborder Peristerce may reasonably be held to consti- 

 tute the single 



Family COLUMBID^: True Pigeons or Doves. 



Keadily recognized by exclusion of the characters of the four families above indicated. These 

 birds are Columbidce plus Peristeridce and minus Caloenadince, of 8alvadori. Broadly speaking 

 they fall in two series, corresponding to these two Salvadorian families ; but the nicer sub- 

 divisions are less easily determined, in view of their various interrelationships, (a) We may 

 confidently begin by setting aside in a subfamily ColumbincB a certain group of arboreal Pig- 

 eons with short feet, at least partly feathered and scutellate tarsi, always 12-feathered tail, 2 

 ccBca, an oil-gland, an ainbiens, and no gall-bladder. Tlie leading genera of this subfamily 

 are the square-tailed Columba, of both Old and New Worlds, tlie wedge-tailed Macropygia of 

 the Old W(jrld, and its representative in the New, the wedge-tailed Ectopistes. (6) All 

 other Columbidce are of more or less terrestrial habits, and have lengthened tarsi more or less 

 completely bare of feathers. Most of them agree in possessing an ambiens and oil-gland, but 

 no cojca and no gall-bladder. These Ground Doves are exemplified by such genera as Peristera 

 and Melopelia witli 12 rectrices, and Zenaidura\\\i\\ 14, of America ; by Lojjholcemiis with J 2, 

 Geopelia, Phlogcenas, and Oci/phaps with 14, and Pimps with 16, of the Old World. They 

 are the Zenaidincc and Phapince of Bonaparte; the Zenaidince, Turturince, GeopeliincB, Peris- 

 ierince, Phabincc, and Geotrygonince of Salvador!; and they correspond to the Phapinae of 

 Garrod. I doubt that so many as six subfamilies can be established upon any structural char- 

 acters, and also believe that those just named should be reconstructed with more regard to 

 geographical distribution. The Bonapartiau Zenaidince would seem to cover all the American 

 Ground Doves, with the probable exception of the genus Starnoenas, which diflfers from the 

 rest more notably than authors, excepting Garrod, seem to have appreciated, though it is con- 

 nected with the others by the genus Geotrygon; it is a pullet-like Ground Pigeon with long 

 reticulate tarsus, short and somewhat elevated hind toe, two coeca, and no oil-gland nor ambi- 

 <'ns — the reverse of the rule in Zenaidince. On these accounts I made it the type of a sub- 

 family StarncenadincB in the second edition of the Key, 1884. 



Of the several groups thus indicated, 3 are North American. They may readily be dis- 

 tinguished as follows : 



Analysis of North American Subfamilies of Columbidce. 



Tarsi scutellate, feathered Columhince 



Tarsi scutellate, naked Zenaidincc 



Tarsi reticulate, naked Slarnoenadinct 



Subfamily COLUMBIN>E : Arboreal Pigeons. 



Feet and l>ill small ; tarsus short, not Ioniser tlian lateral toes, scutellate in front, feath- 

 ered above. Wing pointed. Tail variable in shape, of 12 rectrices. 



Analysis of Genera. 



Tail nearly even, much shorter tlian the wing, with broad obtuse feathers Cotumlta 



Tail long, cuncate, equal to wiugs, with narrow tapering feathers Kctoyistrs 



C'OLUM'BA. (Lat. columba, a piijfon.) Bill short and comparatively stout, about half as 

 liiiii,' as head. Wiiiirs pointed, 2d and '-V\ quills longest. No black spots on scapulars. Lat- 

 eral toes of about eijual lengths, witli claws about as long as middle toe without; hind too 



