240 ECTOPISTES MIGRATORIA. 



GENUS II. ECTOPISTES. THE PIGEONS. 

 (Jen. Cii. Bitl,rather Jong and shnikr. Tail , very lony and yoinled or yradnated . Sternum, rather wide. Cobcv, 



small. 



Members of this genus are quite large, not very dull in color, with conspicuous white markings on the long tail. There- 

 iri but one species within our luuits. 



ECTOPISTES MIGRATORIA. 



Wild. Pigeon. 

 Ectopistes migratoria Swain, Zool. Jour., Ill; 1827, 355. 



DESCKIPTION. 



Sp. Ch. Form, robust. Size, large. Sternum, stout. Tongue, moderately long, thin, narrow at tip which is pointed. 

 Coeoa, very small. Tail, long and gi-aduated. 



Color. Adult male. Head all around, neck, chin, back, upper wing coverts, upper tail coverts, under wing coverts, 

 sides, and flanks, ashy-blue, lightest on the three latter named portions. Wings, including scapularies. bruwn, the latter 

 spotted with large patches of black and tlie tips of secondaries and outer edgcsof primaries are nearly white. Tail, bluish- 

 ash, b,-comii!g darker toward the tips of the middle feathers, and much lighter, gradually fading into white, on the tips and 

 outer webs uftlie others. There is a spot of cinnamon n, ar the basal portion of the inner webs of all the feathers except- 

 ing central pair, which is fallowed, after a short interval, by an oblique band c,f black. Sides and back of neck, glossed 

 with violet which has green and golden reflections. Beneath, purplish-red, darkest anteiioily and fading into white on 

 the abdomen. Under tail c )verts, pure white. Tib'a, purplish. 



Adult female. Quite smiilar to the mule, but browner abjve, is less iridescent on the n^ck, and is pale ashy-yellow 

 beneath. 



Young. Are not unlike the adult female, but are much browner above and are dark-brown on the neck below, while 

 the feathers of these parts are edged with white. The chin is white, and the wing feathers are edged with rufous. Iris, 

 red, bill, black, and feet, yellow, in all stages. 



OBSERVATIONS. 



Occasionally the head is blue all around, but otherwise there is little variation in plumage. This species may be at 

 once recognized by the pointed tail, cinnamon spots at its Ixase, which are present in all stages, large size, and colors as de- 

 scribed. Distributed, as a summer resident, throughout Middle and Northern North America, wintering in the section 

 south of New England. 



DIMENSIONS. 



Average measurements of specimens from North America. Length, 16-62; stretch, 23-50; wing, 8-25; tail, 8-25; bill, 

 •70; tai-sus, TdS. Longest specimen, 17-25; greatest extentof wing, 24-00; longest wing, B'SO; tail, 8-50, bill, -80; tarsus, 

 I-IO. S'Mjrtest specimen, 1600; smallest extent of wing, 23-00; shortest wing, 800; tail, 8 00; bill, 60; tarsus, 100. 



DESCRIPTION OF NESTS AND EGGS. 



Tresis, placed in trees. They are not very elaborate structures, being composed of twigs andsticks.withoutany lining 

 whatever. 



Egijs, onj or two in number, varying from elliptical to oval in form, pure white or creamy in color. Dimensions from 

 lOOxl-50 til l-12xl-55. 



HABITS. 



The Wild Pigeons are now far from being common in Eastern Mtis-sachusetts and it 

 has been nitmy years since I have .seen a flock of any size here. Solitary individuals or 

 small groups are to be found regularly in autumn and occasionally a pair will breed in the 

 wilder sections, and Mr. W. W. Eager found a nest a year or two since in Weston. My 

 friend, Mr August Koch, of Williamsport, of whom I have spoken before as an enthusi- 

 astic sportsman and ornithologist, kindly sends me the following notes on this species. 



"Should severe weather or late snow-storms come on in March, after the Wild Pig- 



