THK



173



Hvicultural fllbagasme,


BEING THE JOURNAL OF THE


AVICULTURAL SOCI ETY.



7 hu\i Serifs — V OL. II. — NO. 6 —/f// rights reserved.



April, 1911.



THE SNOW PIGEON.


Columba huconota.


By T. H. Nkwman, F.Z.S., M.B.O.U.


The genus Columba may be said to be remarkable for

containing many notable examples of the most conspicuously

and curiously marked birds in the whole of the splendid order

Columba , but probably no bird exists anywhere with more quaint

and artificial looking markings than the subject of these notes;

surely no freak of the most persevering fancier has surpassed

this bird in the violent contrasts and abrupt divisions of its

markings and colours. If seen where one would expect to find

domestic pigeons one might very well pass it for some variety

of the “ German Toy ” class.


Though well known, and a bird when once seen is not

likely to be easily forgotten, I append the following brief des¬

cription, taken from an adult female specimen :—Entire head

dark slate grey, contrasting strongly with the white of the neck

and under parts, which become light ashy-grey on the under

tail-coverts; upper surface brownish-grey, becoming purer grey

on the wing-coverts ; the wings are crossed by three dusky bands ;

the primaries, which are remarkably long, are grey ; lighter

towards their bases ; under surface of wings ashy ; lower back

white, conspicuous in flight, but nearly concealed when at rest;

rump and upper tail-coverts slaty-black; tail slaty-black with a

most remarkable whitish band, on the central feathers it is rather

more dusky than on the others and occupies about the central

part of the feathers, on the lateral ones it gradually approaches

nearer the tip, coming quite to the end of the outermost feathers,



