COLUMBID.E — ZENAIDIN^: GROUND DOVES. 



713 



or rather exceeding middle toe and c-law. Lateral toes nearly equal, ends of their claws reach- 

 ing about opposite base of middle claw. Hind toe shortest of all, but perfectly incumbent. 

 ]}ill small and slender, much shorter tlian liead. A considerable naked space about eye, thence 

 extending in a narrow line to bill. Si/e medium or rather small. Body full and stout. Color- 

 ation subdued, but hind-head and neck iridescent. No metallic spots on wing or head. Lining 

 of wings chestnut. (Only North American genus with attenuate outer primary.) (Leptotilu I 

 Sw. 1837, correctly Leptoptila G. 11. Guay, 1841, antedated by Leptoptilos Less. 1831, a 

 genus of Storks; the fact that Swaiuscm niisspelled it docs not justify its use by the A. 0. U. 

 for this genus of Pigeons, for it is just as much preoccupied in its wrong form as it is in its 

 right form, in either case being identically the same word as Leptoptilos. Engijptila Sund. 

 Tent. 1873, p. 156, and of 2d-4th editions of the Key; I had overlooked this name when I 

 jiroposed JJ'^.chmoptiJa in 1878. Homopiila Salvad. 1871.) 



E. fulviveiitris brachyptera. (Lat. fulnis, fulvous ; venter, belly. Gr. I3paxvs, brachus, 

 short; TTTfpoV, p)teron, wing. Fig. 483.) White-fronteu Dove. Adult ^•. Upper parts 



U^ 



Fio. 48.3. — Details of EngyptUa /ulvivenlris brachyptern ; head and foot nat. size: wing and tail 

 reduced. (Ad. nat. del. R. Ridgway.) 



browiiisli-olive, with silky lustre (mucli as in Coccijzhs americanus, for example). Hind-head, 

 nape, and back and sides of neck with coppery-pur[)li.s]i iridescence. Top of liead of a bluish 

 or glaucous '* bloom," fading to creamy-wiiite on forehead. Under parts dull white or whitish, 

 more or less sliaded with olive-brnwn on sides, deepening on fore-breast and jugulum to pale 

 vinaceous ; belly, crissum, and chin quite }iurely white. Wing-coverts and inner quills like 

 back, and without metallic spots ; other large remiges slaty-l)lackish, with very narrow pale 

 edging toward the end. Under wing-coverts and axillaries bright chestnut. Two middle tail- 

 feathers like back; others slaty-black, tipped with white in decreasing amount from the outer 

 ones inward, the largest white tips about O.oO in extent. Hill black. Feet carmine-red. Iris 

 yellow. Bare skin around eye red and livid blue. Length l:2.()()-12.r)() ; extent 1D.01)-1!» ..lO ; 

 wing (i.()()-(>..3(); tail 4.t>.")-4..")(); bill ().(;(M>.7U ; tarsus l.'.25-1.3.") ; middle toe ami claw rather 

 liss. 9 similar, duller everywhere, and especially less iriilesceut on the neck. Central 

 -Vmerica and Mexico to the Lower Ivio Grande of Texas, where it is found during most of the 

 year, and is known to Imcd. Xr.-t in a liiish, large for a Pigeon's, of slick.s, twigs, and weed- 

 vstrips ; eggs 2, creamy or pale bully wiiite, 1.122 X ••.72. This bird was ailded to our fauna by 



