282 PIGEONS AND DOVES 



Similar, but paler; crown ashy, less purplish chestnut; back and sides of 

 neck brownish ash with metallic reflections and black margins. L., 13*50; 

 W., 7-50; T., 5'10;B., 70. 



Range. Florida Keys, the Bahamas, Greater Antilles, some of the 

 Lesser Antilles, Yucatan, and coast of Honduras. 



Nest, in low trees and bushes. Eggs, 2, glossy white, 1*41 x 1'02. Date. 

 Andros Is., Bahamas, June 15. 



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, 1889, p. 246), it arrives at Key West early 

 in May and remains until November. 



A specimen of the WEST INDIAN SCALED PIGEON (314.1 Columba 

 squamosa) was taken at Key West, Fla., Oct. 24, 1898 (Atkins, Auk, 1899. 

 272). 



315. Ectopistes migratorius (Linn.). PASSENGER PIGEON. (Fig. 45.) 

 Ad. cf. Upperparts rich bluish slate-color; back and sides of neck with 

 metallic reflections; middle of back and scapulars more or less washed with 

 olive-brown; middle tail-feathers fuscous, outer ones black at the base, 

 then slaty blue, fading into a broad, white tip; underparts deep, rich vina- 

 ceous; lower belly white; throat bluish slate-color. Ad. 9. Similar, but 

 upperparts with less iridescence and more olive-brown; breast pale grayish 

 brown; belly whitish. Im. Generally similar to the 9, but the feathers of 

 the upperparts and breast tipped with whitish, the primaries edged and 

 tipped with rufous. L., 16'29; W., 7'82; T., 7'53; B., '71. 



Range. Bred formerly from middle w. Mackenzie, cen. Keewatin, cen. 

 Que., and N. S. s. to Kans., Miss., Pa. and N. Y.; wintered principally from 

 Ark. and N. C. s. to cen. Tex., La., and Fla.; casual in Cuba, e. Mex. and 

 Nev. 



Washington, formerly T. V. or W. V. Ossining, formerly rare S. R., 

 and common T. V., Apl. 15 to May 17; Aug. 21-Oct. 11; last seen Oct. 11, 

 1888. Cambridge, formerly abundant, now perhaps extinct. Glen Ellyn, 

 last seen Sept. 4, 1892. SE. Minn., formerly abundant, no recent record. 



Nest, a platform of sticks, in a tree. Eggs, 1, very rarely 2, white, 

 1-45 x 1'09. Date, Upton, Maine, June 15, 1872; Wise., first week in Apl.; 

 se. Minn., May 9, 1879. 



Wilson, writing about 1808, estimated that a flock of Wild Pigeons 

 observed by him near Frankfort, Kentucky, contained at least 2,230,- 

 272,000 individuals. Captain Bendire, writing in 1892, says: ". . . It 

 looks now as if their total extermination might be accomplished within 

 the present century. The only thing which retards their complete 

 extinction is that it no longer pays to net these birds, they being too 

 scarce for this now, at least in the more settled portions of the country, 

 and also, perhaps, that from constant and unremitting persecution on 

 their breeding-grounds they have changed their habits somewhat, 

 the majority no longer breeding in colonies, but scattering over the 

 country and breeding in isolated pairs" ("Life Histories of North Amer- 

 ican Birds," p. 133). 



An article by William Brewster on "The Present Status of the Wild 

 Pigeon as a Bird of the United States, with some Notes on its Habits" 

 (Auk, VI, 1889, pp. 285-291), gives much information concerning the 

 recent history of the bird in Michigan, one of its last strongholds. 

 According to an informant of Mr. Brewster's, the last nesting in Michi- 



