COLI'MIUD.K — TIIK I'UiKONS. 857 



Family COLUMBID-SJ. - -Tin; l'n;i;(-\s. 



CiiAli. The liiisul jiortioii ol' i1h> hill covcrril liy a sofi skin, in wliirli an> siluali'il tho 

 nostrils, (iviTliinii; liy an inriniilicnl lie, liy valve, the apical [Mirli>in liaiil and conM'X. 

 'I'lu' himl tiM^ (HI tlic sanic! level willi llie resl ; the aineiioi- tni'S wiliioiil iiieinlirane al tlie 

 l)a>e. 'i'arsi mure or less nalvi'd ; I'overeil lalerally and lioliind wilii liexau'unal scales. 



Till liill (>r tho Ciihuiibiilir is always .slioitoi tlian tho lioad, thiiiiir in tlio 

 iiii(hilo; tho basal half oovorod liy a soft skin ; tiio apical ixirtiouol hutii Jaws 

 hanl ; tho uppei' "iio vory convex, blunt, and liroad al tiio ti[), wiiore it is 

 also .somewhat docuisod. Tiiore is a loni;' nasal ,i;roo\'o, tiio iiosterior poi'tioii 

 oocupiod by a cartilaginous soalo, covered by a soft core-liki^ skin. Tiio nos- 

 trils constitute an olonj^atod slit in tlu; lowoi' bordi'r of tiiii scale, 'i'iio (miI- 

 men Ls always doprossud and convex. The bill is nc\ei' notched in the true 

 Doves, though Diilimciilih- siiows well-dctincd serrations. Tiio tongue is 

 small, Hoi't, and somewhat llesliy. 



The wing has ten ]iriniarics, and eleven or tw(dve, rarely fifteen, seconda- 

 ries ; the hitter broad, truncate, and of ne.uly e(pial length. The tail is 

 rounded or c moate, never forked. 



Tho tarsus is usually short, rarely longi/r tlian the middh! toe, scutellato 

 anteriorly, and wilji hexagonal plates laterally and behind ; sometimes 

 naked. An intor-digital membrane is eitho" wanting entirely, or el.so is 

 very slightly indicated bolweoii the middle and outer tui'S. 



Tiio valualilo monogra])li of ISoiiaparto in the second i)art of Ci>n--<}u'rtii^ 

 Aridiii, renders the. task of arranging the .American Vdliniihidif in pro]ier 

 se(iuenco and of determining their syiinnoniy compaiatixely easy. He 

 divides tho family into Luiiliuld )inii(i\Culuinhinii\ Ttdiiifiiiii^Ziiiindino:, and 

 /'/i(i/iiiiiv, the ,seo(md an<l fourth alone occurring in >.'urLh America. They 

 may bo brielly distinguisiied as follows: — 



Columbinae. Tarsus sliorl,;- tlian the lateral toe; foalliered aliove. 

 Zenaidiuae. Tarsus ioiiiier tlia.i the lateral toes; entirely liare of feathers. 



SntF.vMii.v COLUMBINiE. 



CiiAi!. Tarsi Stout, short, with trinisverse .-.eulellio anteriorly; feathered tor llu' hasal 

 third iihov.', hut not at all li.thiud. Toes leiiL'thened, the lati'r;d deeidi'dly loiejer than 

 the tarsus. Winjis ieii.Lilhened iind [loinli'd. Size lar-c. Tail-feathers twelve. 



'I'liis section id' doves embraces the laigest North American s]iecies, and 

 among lliciii tlie more arboreal ones. Tlie genera are as follows : — 



ColuRiba. Head lar^'i- : tail short, hroiid, and rounded. 



'ulcr toe much loiejer than ihi' inner; hill liither short, tout . Cnhiinhit. 

 ( »uler toescariely loiiL'er than llie inner; hill leiiL'lhened, eoin[)re.s.scd l'aliiiji».iias, 

 Ectopistea. Head vory small; tail much len^lheiiod, eiineate. 



