CHAPTER XIII. 



Other American Varieties Also Noticed^ — Develop- 

 ment from Egg Observed and Given a 

 Csureful Analysis 



IN addition to a great variety of doves and tlie two va- 

 rieties of northern pigeons, Ectopistes and Fasciata, 

 there are various other important pigeons, native in 

 North America and the West India Islands, that may 

 be briefly noticed, in glancing around the Carribean 

 environment and other places that are familiar to us. 

 The White-Headed Pigeon (Columbia cucocephala), 

 is found at Key West, Florida, in secluded places, as 

 it is a shy bird, arriving about April 20th. It is of two 

 classes that are plenty in Honduras and Jamaica and 

 called Mangrove Baldpate and Mountain Baldpate, 

 respectively, according to the chief habitat of each 

 class. There is demand for the delicious squabs. 

 They are readily domesticated, but have a fondness for 

 emancipation. They are seldom taken in mainland 

 interiors, but they love the islands near the coasts. ■ It 

 is smaller than the passenger pigeon ; but is plump and 

 nearly as heavy; color, dark slate-blue; from bill to 

 nape pure white; dark maroon-purple spot on the oc- 

 ciput, and below it a brassy-green cape, covering nape, 

 each feather bordered externally with velvety black ; 

 the bill is dark purple, with a light blue tip ; iris, white ; 

 and the legs, a deep lake-red, 



72 



