368 



NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 



The Ectojnstes migratoria is blue above, the male puvplish-red beneath, 

 the female brownish -ashy, passing into whitish behind. The wing above 



Ectopistes migratoria. 



and scapulars are spotted with bluish-black, the sides of the neck with 

 metallic gloss of solferino-purple ; the inner webs of tail-feathers have each 

 a rufous and a black spot. 



Ectopistes migratoria, Swainson. 



WILD PIGEON; PASSENGER-PIGEON. 



Columha migratoria, Linn. Syst. Nat. I, 1766, 285. — Gm. I, 389. — Forster, Pliil. Trans. 

 LXII, 1772, 398.— Wilson, Am. Orn. I, 1808, 102, pi. xliv. — Wagler, Syst. Av. 1827, 

 No. 91. — AuD. Orn. Biog. I, 1831, 319; V, 561, pi. Ixii. Ectopistes migratoria, 

 Swainson, Zool. Jour. Ill, 1827, 355. —Ib. F. Bor. Am. II, 1831, 363. — Bon. 

 Consp. Av. IT, 1854, 59. — AuD. Syn. 1839, 194. — Ib. Birds Amer. V, 1842, 25, pi. 

 cclxxxv. — "Reich. Icones Av. tab. 249, figs. 1377, 1379." — Baird, Birds N. Am. 

 1858, 600. —Max. Cab. J. VI, 1858, 424. — Lord, Pr. R. A. I. IV, 122 (British 

 Columbia, from coast ; nest on ground). — Cooper & Suckley, 218. — Cooper, Orn. 

 Cal. I, 1870, 509. Cohmnba canadensis, Linnaeus, Syst. Nat. I, 1766, 284. — Gm. I, 

 1788, 785. Female or young. (Prior name?) Columba amcricana, " Kalm, It. II, 

 527." Passenger Pigeon, Pennant, II, 322. —Lath. Syn. II, ii, 661. 



Sp. Char. Tail with twelve feathers. Upper parts generally, including sides of body, 

 head, and neck, and the chin, blue. Beneath, purple brownish-red, fading behind into a 

 violet tint. Anal region and under tail-coverts bluish-white. Scapulars, inner tertials, 

 and middle of back Avith an olive-brown tinge ; the wing-coverts, scapulars, and iimer 

 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-feather 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 or reddish- 



