PASSENGER PIGEON. H 



inches in extent; bill black; nostril covered by a high rounding 

 protuberance; eye brilliant fiery orange; orbit, or space sur- 

 rounding it, purplish flesh-coloured skin; head, upper part of the 

 neck, and chin, a fine slate blue, lightest on the chin; throat, 

 breast and sides, as far as the thighs, a reddish hazel Blower part 

 of the neck and sides of the same resplendent changeable gold, 

 green and purplish crimson, the latter most predominant; the 

 ground colour slate; the plumage of this part is of a peculiar 

 structure, ragged at the ends; belly and vent white; lower part 

 of the breast fading into a pale vinaceous red; thighs the same, 

 legs and feet lake, seamed with white; back, rump and tail-co- 

 verts, dark slate, spotted on the shoulders with a few scattered 

 marks of black; the scapulars tinged with brown; greater coverts 

 light slate; primaries and secondaries dull black, the former tipt 

 and edged with brownish white; tail long, and greatly cunei- 

 form, all the feathers tapering towards the point, the two mid- 

 dle ones plain deep black, the other five, on each side, hoary 

 white, lightest near the tips, deepening into bluish near the 

 bases, where each is crossed on the inner vane with a broad spot 

 of black, and nearer the root with another of ferruginous; pri- 

 maries edged with white; bastard wing black. 



The female is about half an inch shorter, and an inch less in 

 extent; breast cinereous brown; upper part of the neck inclin- 

 ing to ash ; the spot of changeable gold green and carmine much 

 less, and not so brilliant; tail-coverts brownish slate; naked or- 

 bits slate coloured; in all other respects like the male in colour, 

 but less vivid, and more tinged with brown; the eye not so 

 brilliant an orange. In both, the tail has only twelve feathers. 





