THE WILD PIGEON. 373 



SUB-ORDER COLUMB^. 



The basal portion of the bill covered by a soft skin, in which are situated the 

 nostrils, overhung by an incumbent fleshy valve, the apical portion hard and con- 

 vex; the hind toe on the same level with the rest; the anterior toe without mem- 

 brane at the base; tarsi more or less naked; covered laterally and behind with 

 hexagonal scales. 



Family COLUMBlDiE. The Doves. 



Bill homy at the tip ; tail feathers twelve, only occasionally fourteen ; heau 

 smooth. 



Sah-Family Columbine. 



Tarsi stout, short, with transverse scutellie anteriorly; feathered for tlie basal 

 third above, but not at all behind; toes lengthened, the lateral decidedly longer than 

 the tarsus; wings lengthened and pointed; size large; tail feathers twelve. 



This section of doves embraces the largest North-American species, and among 

 them the more arboreal ones. 



ECTOPISTES, SwAiNsoN. 



Ectopistes, SwAiNSON, Zool. Jour., III. (1827) 362. (Type Columba migraloria, L.) 



Head very small; bill short, black; culmen one-third the rest of the head; tarsi 



very short, half covered anteriorly by feathers ; inner lateral claw much larger than 



outer, reaching to the base of the middle one; tail very long and excessively 



cuneate; about as long as the wings; first primary longest. 



This genus is readily distinguished from the other Columbince by the excessively 

 lengthened and acute middle feathers. It formerly included the Columia Caroli- 

 nensis; but this, with more proprietj', has been erected into a diflerent genus, and 

 will be found in the next section. 



ECTOPISTES MIGEATOEIA. — Swamson. 



The Wild Pigeon; Passenger Pigeon. 



Columba migrataria, Linnaeus. Syst. Nat., I. (1766) 285. Wils. Am. Om., I 

 11808) 102. Aud. Om. Biog., I. (1831) 319; V. 561. 



Ectopistes migratoria, Swainson. Zool. Jour., III. (1827) 355. 



Description. 

 Tail with twelve feathers; upper parts generally, including sides of body, head, 

 and neck, and the chin, blue, beneath, purple brownish-red, fading behind with a 



