1M' MI I'oVKSb 187 



ORDER COLUMBJE. PIGEONS AND DOVES. 

 FAMILY COLUMBIDAL PIQEONB AND DOVES. 



About one third of tin- three hundred known species of Pigeons 

 and iKivivsiirv f"imd in the New World, but of this numbfr only twelve 

 species occur in North America. The birds of this family differ widely 

 in their du.icc of haunts. Some are strictly arboreal, others as strictly 

 terrestrial. Some seek the forests and others prefer fields and clear- 

 ings. Some nest in colonies, others in isolated pairs, but most species 

 are found in flocks of greater or less si /e after the breeding season. 

 When drinking, they do not raise the head as other birds do to swal- 

 low, but keep the bill immersed until the draught is finished. The 

 young are born naked and are fed by re-gurgitation. 



KIT TO THE UPECIEfl. 



A. Tail widely tipped with white or grayish white. 



a. Tail pointed. 



a'. Back or rump hluiah (date-color 315. PAWENOER PIGEON. 



i'. Back olive grayish brown 316. MOI-RNING DOVE. 



b. Tail nquare 317. ZEXAIDA DOVE. 



B. Tail not tipped with white. 



a. Upper part* dark slate-color 314. WHITE-CROWNED PIGEON. 



b. Upper partu rufous with purplish rcrt <-tions. 



b 1 . Line below the eye and belly white or whitish . 322. QCAIL DOVE. 

 A*. Line under the eye and belly bully ochraceou*. 



828.1. RUODT QUAIL DOVE. 

 e. Upper part* grayuh olive-brown. 

 A Crown blue, a white line below the eye. 



323. BLL-E-IIEADKD (ji AIL I" .t 

 <. Crown pinkish or like the back 3-J<>. (ii:m M> I)H\K. 



314. Columba, leucocephala. /.inn. WHITK-I KOWXKD PIGEON. 

 Ad. 6. Rich slate-color; crown white; hack <>f the head purpli.-h chestnut; 

 back of the neck with greenuih rcflcetii>n.-. eai-h feather with a blaek Ix-nlrr. 

 Ad. 9. Similar, but paler; crown ashy, Iwu purplish chestnut: back and 

 aides of the neck brownish ash with metallic reflections and black margins. 

 L., 1S-50; W.. 7-60; T., 5-10; B., -70. 



liamjt. Florida Key*, Went Indies, and coast >f ' ntral America. 



AW, in low huniica. Eyyt, two, glomy white, 1-41 x 1-02. 



This Pigeon is locally common in some of the keys off southern 

 Florida, and has been known to occur on the mainland. According 

 to Mr. J. W. Atkins (Auk, vi, 1880. p. 246), it arrives nt Key West early 

 in May and remains until November. 



316. Ectopistea mlffratoriu* (//'.<) I 'AMENGER PIGEON. (Sea 

 Fig. 28.) Ad. s . Upper part* rich bluLth alato-color; back and sidea of the 



