169 



GENUS TURTUR. 



THE birds belonging to this group are distin- 

 guished by their bill, which is slenderer in its pro- 

 portions than that of the Pigeons. The tip of the 

 upper mandible is gently deflected, that of the lower 

 scarcely exhibiting an appearance of an angle. Legs, 

 the tarsi rather shorter than the middle toe. Feet 

 formed for walking or perching, the inner toe longer 

 than the outer. Front of the tarsi covered witli 

 broad imbricated scales. Wings, the first quill a 

 little shorter than the second, the third the longest 

 of all. Tail rounded, or slightly graduated. The 

 Turtles are inferior in size to the Pigeons, which 

 they closely resemble in their habits. They feed 

 upon the ground, but roost and breed in the 

 woods. 



As an example of the genus, we present our read- 

 ers with a figure of the well known 



