COLUMBA.] AVES RASORES. 163 



DIMENS. Entire length eleven inches three lines : length of the bill 

 (from the forehead) eight lines, (from the gape) ten lines ; of the tarsus 

 ten lines ; of the tail four inches four lines ; from the carpus to the end 

 of the wing six inches nine lines: breadth, wings extended, twenty 

 inches. 



DESCRIPT. Head and nape cinereous, with a tinge of vinaceous red ; 

 on each side of the neck a patch of black feathers tipped with grayish 

 white ; back and rump cinereous brown ; inside and edge of the wings 

 bluish ash; greater quills brownish black; secondaries bluish gray; 

 scapulars and wing-coverts ferruginous brown inclining to rust-red, with 

 a black spot in the middle of each feather : fore part of the neck and breast 

 pale vinaceous ; belly and under tail-coverts pure white : the two middle 

 tail-feathers wholly brown; the rest bluish black, tipped with white; 

 the outer one also white on the external web : bill brown : irides reddish 

 orange : orbits and feet red. (Egg.) White : rather more pointed than 

 in any of the former species : long. diam. one inch two lines and a half; 

 trans, diam. ten lines. 



Var. ft. Spotted-necked Turtle. Lath. Syn. vol. n. p. 645. Don. Brit. 

 Birds, vol. vn. pi. 149. Characterized principally by having the whole 

 side of the neck black, each feather having a round white spot near the 

 extremity, instead of being tipped with white. 



A migratory species, visiting this country in May, and departing at the 

 approach of Autumn. Not generally diffused. Said to be most abundant 

 in Kent and Buckinghamshire. Occurs sparingly in some of the eastern 

 and western counties, but is rare northward. Frequents thick woods, and 

 builds in trees, constructing a nest like that of the Ring-Dove, but 

 smaller. Eggs two in number, laid about the middle of June. Utters 

 a peculiar plaintive note during the breeding season, which is sometimes 

 continued at intervals till near the middle of August. Food all kinds of 

 grain and seeds. The Spotted-necked variety, first noticed by Dr Latham, 

 appears to have been only met with in Buckinghamshire. 



(2. ECTOPISTES, Swains.) 



141. C. migratoria, Linn. (Passenger Pigeon.) 

 Cinereous; sides of the neck glossed with green and 

 purple; wing-coverts spotted with black. 



C. migratoria, Temm. Pig. et Gall. torn. i. p. 346. Passenger 



Pigeon, Lath. Syn. vol. n. p. 661. (Male.) Canada Turtle, 



Id. vol. n. p. 658. (Female.) Pass. Pig., Wilson, Amer. Orn. 

 vol. v. p. 102. pi. 44. f. 1. 



DIMENS. Entire length sixteen inches nine lines and a half: length 

 of the bill one inch ; of the tarsus one inch one line and a half: breadth, 

 wings extended, twenty-four inches six lines. FLEM. 



DESCRIPT. "Chin, cheeks, head, back, and rump, bluish gray; 

 shoulders with a tinge of yellowish brown : side of the neck, and behind, 

 rich reddish purple, iridescent : fore-neck deep chestnut, becoming paler 

 on the breast, or rather salmon-coloured, and passing to white on the 

 belly and vent : thighs like the breast : quills brownish black, the gray 

 colour of the margin of the outer web increasing at the base of the 

 secondaries, and towards the ends of the inner ones : bastard wing, and 

 greater coverts of the primaries, brownish black ; greater coverts of the 

 secondaries gray : lesser coverts and outer scapulars tinged with yellowish 

 brown, with black spots : tail of twelve feathers, the two middle ones 



L 2 



