436 CLASS xvr. 



Modern writers, especially SWAINSON and GOULD, have divided 

 this large genus into many genera, which, however, in part pass 

 into one another, or sometimes are founded on insufficient charac- 

 ters; most of them can scarcely be regarded as sub-genera. We 

 present below a compressed view of these divisions, but without 

 recognising on that account an equal importance in all of them, or 

 approving the names, frequently barbarous, by which they have 

 been denoted. 



f Tarsi reticulate, with scales hexagonal. 



Megapelia KAUP, nob., Lophyrus YIEILL., Goura FLEMING, GRAY, 

 Ptilophyrus SWAINS. Tarsi strong, elongate. Wings short, sub- 

 concave, rounded, with fourth, fifth, and sixth quills longest of all. 

 Head ornamented with a compressed crest, formed of decomposed 

 feathers. (These birds are the tallest of this family, except Didus.) 



Sp. Columba coronala L., BUFF. PL enl. 118, SONNERAT Voyage a la Nouv. 

 Guinee, PI. 104, LESS. Ornith. PI. 80, fig. 2, Diet. univ. d'Hist. nat., Ois. 

 PL 6 A; the goura or crested pigeon; nearly of the size of a turkey -hen; 

 greyish-blue, with a white band surrounded by red-brown across the wings. 

 Some years ago a second species was discovered of darker colour and with 

 a light grey band on the wings, in which the feathers of the crest end in 

 a triangular expansion, like those on the head of the common peacock : 

 Columba Stuersii TEMM. Mus. L. B., Lophyrus Victoria ERASER, Proceed. 

 Zool. Soc., 1844, p. 136, GRAY Gen. of Birds, cxx. Both species are from 

 New Guinea; they build their nests in trees, but seek their food on the 

 ground. 



Note. Akctryopelia [Verrulia (quid?) FLEMING], Coloinbigalline VAILL. 

 Head denuded at the base of bill, with throat carunculate. Uncertain 

 genus. Comp. GRAY Gen. of Birds, i. Pref. p. viii. 



Sp. Columba carunculata TEMM., VAILL. Ois. d'Afriqiie, PI. 278, TEMM. 

 Pigeons, PI. 2. 



Perdicopelia, Starncenas (quid?) BONAP. Head not crested. 

 Tarsi longer than middle toe. Wings with fourth quill longest. 

 Tail short, rounded. 



Sp. Columba cyanocephala L., BUFF. PI. enl. 174; Jamaica; Columba fre- 

 nata, TscHUDi Faun. Peruan., Av. Tab. 27. 



ft Tarsi covered on the anterior surface with a single row of scutes. 

 A. Lateral toes subequal, or inner somewhat longer. 



Calcenas GKAY, Geophilus SELBY. Bill curved. Tarsi strong. 

 Toes and claws long. Tail short, even. Wings with third quill 



