160 COLUMB.U. 



Order COLTJMB^. 

 Palate scliizognathous ; nasals scliizorliinal ; young born helpless. 



Suborder VII. COLUMB^E. 



The Pigeons are so isolated a group of birds that the suborder may 

 fairly claim ordinal rank. There are nearly 400 speeies contained in 

 this almost cosmopolitan group, but with the exception of about a 

 score which inhabit the Nearctic and Palaearetic Regions, they are 

 all tropical or subtropical. 



Most of the Japanese Pigeons belong to tropical genera. 



141. COLUMBA LIVIA. 

 (BLUE ROCK-PIGEON.) 



Culumba livia, Brisson, Oin. i. p. 82 (1760) ; Bonnaterre, Table Encycl. et 

 M(5thod. i. p. 227 (1790). 



The Rock-Pigeon of Japan is a very dark bird, and varies greatly 

 in the colour of its belly and lower back. The former varies from 

 dark grey to pale grey, and the latter from nearly black to nearly 

 white. 



The Rock-Dove of Japan, like that of Siberia, appears to be a feral 

 bird. There are three examples in the Pryer collection from Yoko- 

 hama. It is said to breed in a cave on Eno-sima (Blakiston and 

 I'ryer, Ibis, 1878, p. 227) ; and Captain Rodgers obtained examples 

 on the Loo-Choo Islands (Cassin, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sc. Philad. 18G2, 

 p. 320). 



142. TURTUR ORIENTALIS. 

 (EASTERN TURTLE-DOVE.) 

 Cvlumba onentalis, Latham, Index Orn. ii. p. 000 (1790). 



The Eastern Turtle-Dove is one of the medium-sized Japanese 

 Columbic (wing from carpal joint 7| to 7 inches). It may be easily 

 recognized by the broad chestnut-brown margins of its dark-centred 

 scapulars and tcrtials. 



