340 COLUMBID^. 



rapidly, and moves through the air with greater velocity. 

 The tints of its plumage are more varied than in the other 

 British species, but far inferior in brilliancy to many 

 ■foreign ones. 



The Turtle Dove so frequently kept in a cage is the 

 Collared Turtle Dove {Columba risoria), a native of India 

 and China. This species is distinguished by a black 

 crescent on the back of the neck, the horns of •which 

 nearly meet in front. Turtle Doves are much kept in 

 Germany, owing to a strange popular superstition that 

 they are more predisposed than the human species to 

 nervous disorders and rheumatism, and that when any of 

 these complaints visit a house, they fall on the birds rather 

 than on theu' owners. 



PASSENGER PIGEON. 



ECTOPISTES MIGRATORIUS. 



Head and upper plumage bluish grey ; neck and breast deep chestnut passing 

 through salmon colour to white on the abdomen ; sides of the neck lustrous 

 Avith green and purple ; tail graduated, with the four middle feathers longest, 

 blackish brown in the middle, white at the sides ; bill black ; irides red ; legs 

 reddish orange ; claws black. Length seventeen inches. Eggs white. 



This bird has no other claim to be set down as British 

 than such as can be derived from the fact that a few 

 specimens have been seen here at distant intervals of 

 time. It is a native of the New World, and is the subject 

 of some of the most interesting narratives of the American 

 Ornithologists. 



