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U. S. p. R. R. EXP. AND SURVEYS — ZOOLOGY — GENERAL REPORT. 



The Ectojiistes migratoria is blue above, purplish red beneath, passing into whitish beliind. 

 The wing above is spotted with bluish black ; the sides of the neck with metallic gloss. 



ECTOPISTES MIGRATORIA, S w a i n s o n . 



Wild Pigeon ; Passenger Pigeon. 



Cuiiimiianng-ra(o)to, Linnaeus, Sysl. Nat. I, 1766, 285.— Gm. I, 389.— FoRsTER, Phil. Trans. LXII, 1772, 398.— 



Wilson, Am. Orn. I, 1808, 102 ; pi. xliv.— Bon. Obs. Wils. 1825, No. 179 Wagler, Syst. 



Av. 1827, No. 91.— AuD. Orn. Biog. I, 1831, 319 : V, 561 ; pi. 62. 

 Eclopistes migratoria, Swainson, Zool. Jour. Ill, 1827, 355.— Is. F. Bor. Am. II, 1831, 363.— Bon. List, 1838.— 1b. 

 Gonsp. Av. II, 1R54, 59.— Add. Syn. 1839, 191.— Ib. Birds Amer. V, 1842,25; pi. 285.— 

 "Reich. Icones Av. tab. 249, figs. 1377, 1379." 

 Cohimba canadensis, Linnaeus, Syst. Nat. I, 1766, 284.— Gm. I, 1788, 785. Female or young. (Prior name?) 

 Culiwiba americaua, *' Kalm, It. II, 527." 

 Passenger Pigeon, Pennant, II, 322. — Latt. Syn. II, ii, 661. 



Sp. Ch Tail with twelve feathers. Upper parts generally, including sides of body, head, and neck, and the chin, blue. 



Beneath, purple brownish red, fading behind with a violet tint. Anal region and under tail coverts, bluish white. Scapulars, 

 inner tertials, and middle of back, with an olive brown tinge; the wing coverts, scapulars, and inner tertials, with large oval 

 spots of blue-black on the outer webs, mostly concealed, except on the latter. Primaries blackish, with a border of pale bluish 

 tinged internally with red. Middle tail feathers brown ; the rest pale blue on the outer web, white internally ; each with a patch 

 of reddish brown at the base of the inner web, followed by another of black. Sides and back of neck richly glossed with metallic 

 golden violet Tibia bluish violet. Bill black. Feet yellow. 



The female is smaller ; much duller in color ; more olivaceous above ; beneath, pale blue instead of red, e.\cept a tinge on 

 the neck ; the jugulum tinged with olive, the throat whitish. 



Length of male, 17 inches ; wing, 8.50 ; tail, 8. 40. 



Hab. — North America to High Central Plains. 



The blue of the side of the head extends to the throat and chin. The upper part of the back 

 and lesser coverts are of a darker blue than the head and rump. The inner primaries are more 

 broadly margined with light blue, which tapers oiF to the end. The axillars and under surface 

 of the wing are light blue. The longest scajjulars have the black on both webs. There is no 

 blue on the outer web of the first tail feather, which is white, and the inferior surface of the 

 tail generally is white. 



In some specimens the entire head all round is blue. 



The immature male varies in having most of the feathers of the head and body margined 



with whitish. 



List of specimens. 



1 Iris red. 



