210 SORTII AMERICAN BIRDS. 



Order COLUMB-^. — The Pigeons. (Pago 2.) 



Families. 

 (Characters same as those given for the Order) .. Columbidae. (Pago 210.) 



Family COLUMBID^.— The Pigeons or Doves. (Page 210.) 



(^JVest a flat frail platform of sticks, straws, etc., usually in trees. Eggs 2, plain 

 white or butfy white.) 



Genera. 



a'. Tarsus shorter than lateral toes. (Subfamily Cohivibina;.) 



6'. Tail much shorter than wing, slightly rounded, the feathers broad and 



rounded, or nearly truncated, at tips Columba. (Page 211.) 



6'. Tail nearly as long as wing, graduated, the feathers narrow and pointed at 



tips Ectopistes. (Pago 212.) 



a'. Tarsus longer than lateral toes. (Subfamily Zenaidina:.) 

 U. Front of tarsus covered by transverse scutellse. 

 c'. Wing more than 5.00. 



d}. Terminal portion of outer quill abruptly narrowed. 



Leptotila. (Pago 214.) 

 cP. Terminal portion of outer quill not narrowed. 



e'. Outer webs of only second and third quills very slightly sinu- 

 atcd (sinuation scarcely perceptible). 

 /'. Tail-feathers 12 ; tail rounded, less than three-fourths as 

 long as wing, the feathers broad and rounded at tips. 

 g^. Culmen longer than lateral toes, without claws ; tail 

 nearly three-fourths as long as wing ; a white 

 patch covering larger wing-coverts. 



Melopelia. (Pago 214.) 

 (f. Culmen shorter than lateral toes, without claws; tail 

 barely more than two-thirds as long as wing; no 

 white patch on wing-coverts. 



Zenaida. (Pago 213.) 

 /'. Tail-fcathors 14; tail graduated, usually more than three- 

 fourths (always more than two-thirds) as long as 

 wing, the feathers more or less narrowed at tips. 



Zenaidura. (Pago 212.) 

 c'. Outer wobs of second to fifth quills, inclusive, distinctly sinu- 

 ated ; tail less than two-thirds as long as wing. 



Geotrygon. (Pago 216.) 



