WOOD PIGEON. 241 



by a soft skin, in wliich the nostrils open, overhung by an 

 incumbent valve. (CT. Salvadori, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxi. 

 p. I.) 



Pigeons are found over the greater part of the globe, and 

 they are divided by Count Salvadori into five families: 

 Treronidce (Fruit - Pigeons), Columbidce. (True Pigeons), 

 FeristeridcB (Ground-Pigeons), Gouridce (Crowned Pigeons), 

 and DidiuiatlidcE. (Tooth-billed Pigeons.) 



THE TRUE PIGEONS. FAMILY COLUMBID.E. 



These Pigeons have a rather short tarsus, generally shorter 

 than the middle toe. In this respect they show that they are 

 Tree-Pigeons, as opposed to the Peristcrida or Ground- 

 Pigeons, and they have a near relationship to the Treroiiidcc or 

 Fruit-Pigeons. The latter, however, have very broad soles to 

 the feet, and have from fourteen to sixteen tail-feathers, 

 whereas the Columbidce have the soles normal and not very 

 broad, the hind-toe only with the skin prominently expanded 

 on the sides, while the tail-feathers are twelve in number. (Cf. 

 Salvadori, op. cit. p. 3). 



Count Salvadori divides the family Cohimbidm into three sub- 

 families — the CohimbincB^ with the tail of moderate length, not 

 longer than the wings, and the Macropygiince and Eciopisthice^ 

 in which the tail is longer than the wings. 



THE WOOD-PIGEONS. CxENUS COLUMBA. 



Colujnba, Linn. Syst. Nat. i. p. 279 (1766). 



Type, C. livia (Bonn.). 



In this genus the tail is shorter than the wing, and the 



tarsus is feathered for a small extent on the upper half, but not 



for more than half its length. 



About sixty different kinds of Wood-Pigeon are known, and 

 they are found in every part of the Old World, and throughout 

 the New World also, except in the more northern parts. 



I. THE WOOD-PIGEON. COLUMBA PALUMBUS. 



Columba palumbus, Linn. Syst. Nat. i. p. 282 (1766); Macgill. 

 Brit. B. i. p. 259 (1837); Dresser, B. Eur. vii. p. 3, pi. 456 



