THE GROUND PIGEONS 



2147 



maries, two have the outermost pointed at the extremity, and of these, Leptoptila is 

 distinguished by having the tail equal to more than half the length of the wing. 

 The species range from Texas through Mexico and Central America to Peru and 

 Argentina, and may be divided into a long-tailed and a short-tailed group. Tw r o 

 handsome species form the genus Osculatea, in which the length of the tail is less 

 than half that of the wing. In the six following genera, the first primary is not 



BLOOD-BREASTED DOVES. 

 (One-half natural size. ) 



pointed at the tip; the first five agreeing with one another in having the front of 

 the metatarsus covered with transverse scales; while in the three genera to be next 

 mentioned, the tail is composed of less than twenty feathers. The Central- and 

 South- American genus, Geotrygon, is also characterized by its rather short tail of 

 twelve feathers. Another genus, Phlog&nas, differs from the above in having four- 

 teen feathers in the tail. More than twenty species are known, some of which are 



