272 PIGEONS. 



PIGEONS. 



Birds of varying size, long wings and 

 well-developed tails; bills weak. Flight, 

 rapid, direct, with quick wing-beats. Stick- 

 built nests often placed in trees in our 

 species, but sometimes on ground; eggs, 2, 

 white. Young hatched naked and very 

 helpless fed by regurgitation. Food, vege- 

 table substances. 



260. WHITE-CROWNED PIGEON. 



About the size of domestic pigeon, 13; 

 dark slate-blue; top of head, white. Baha- 

 mas and some of West Indias; rather un- 

 common on Fla. Keys. Notes, given in 

 minor key, wof, wof wo, co-woo, the first 

 three repeated several times, the last long 

 drawn out. Social, occurring in flocks and 

 breeding in communities. 



261. PASSENGER PIGEON. 



Large, 16.50; tail, long and pointed; 

 upper parts, sides, neck and head, ash-blue; 

 beneath, purplish-red, under tail coverts 



