138 THE WORLD'S BIRDS. 



to Turkey ; it is much like the domestic dove, but 

 drab instead of fawn in colour. 



In North America the Passenger Pigeon {Ecto- 

 pistes migratorius), a blue-grey bird with a long 

 tail, once excessively abundant, is now nearly ex- 

 tinct ; the only widely-distributed North-American 

 pigeon being the Mourning Dove {Zenaidura 

 macrnra), a drab bird, about the size of the common 

 dove, but with a tail of more pointed shape. 



None of the true fruit -pigeons are found in 

 the New World, the fruit-eating species found 

 there being allied to the typical pigeons, such as 

 the Wood-Pigeon, and none are green ; of the true 

 green fruit-pigeons the best known is perhaps 

 the Hurrial {Crocopus phcBnicoptems) of India, 

 a bird about as big as the house -pigeon, with 

 green and lavender plumage and yellow feet. 

 The large species called Imperial Pigeons are 

 well typified by that illustrated. 



The great Crowned Pigeons [Goura) of New 

 Guinea and adjacent islands, are weU known in 

 captivity (at least, in the case of G. goura), and 

 are noteworthy, not only for their great size, 

 filmy fan-shaped crests and slate-blue colour, but 

 for having the shanks covered all round with 

 numerous small scales. 



The extinct Dodo and Solitaire were huge heavy 

 flightless Pigeons, referred to a separate family 

 {DididcB). The existing Tooth-billed Pigeon 

 {Didunculus strlgirostris) of Samoa, though it has 

 a very peculiar thick beak, is not so much like them 

 in this respect as the Thick-billed Green Pigeon 

 {Butreron capellii), closely allied to the Hurrial 

 above-mentioned. 



