COLL'.MUID.E — THE PIGEONS. 



309 



purplo. Tiliia; l)liiisli-vi()lct. ]{ill bliick. Foi't lake-reil. Tlio (I'lniilo is suialli.T, niiicli 

 duller ill (.'olor, iiioro oliviici-jtis uhovo ; bi'iiuiitli, pale ash iusteail of icil, I'Xi'c'pl a liii_y;i' 

 on the iiL'uk ; the juffiihiiii tiiii,'eil with t)liv(', the throat whitish. Length of niali', 17.00; 

 win,L', KoO; tail, S.-JO. 



Had. North America to hiirh Tentral Plains; West llnniholilt Mountains, Nevada 

 (September; llinow.vY). Cuba ((luxui.. Rep. 1, 18()(J, ;i02 ; Cau. J. IN, llL'j. 



Erlnpistex inigmtnrin. 



Tlie l)liie of tlit3 si(U) of tlie lieml e.xtciids to the throat and cliiii. The 

 ui)i)er part of tlic hack and Icssur 

 coverts <ave (jf a (hirkcr lihio tlian 

 the head and riun]i. The iiuiev 

 imniarics are more hrnadly mar- 

 gined with light lihie, whicii taj)er.s 

 oif to the end. The axilhirs and 

 under surface of tlie wing are light 

 l)lue. The longest .scapidars have 

 tiie lilaek on both webs. Tiiere is 

 no blue on the outer web of tiie 

 first tail-feather, which is white, 

 as is the inferior surface of the tail 

 generally. 



In some sjjecimens the entire 

 head all round is l.ilue. 



The immature male varies in 

 having most of the feathers of the head and Ixidy margined with whiti.sh. 



Habits. The common Passenger Pigeon of North America is found 

 throuy-hout the continent in yreat abuiulance, from the Atlantic to the yreat 

 Central I'lains, and from the Southern States, in wjiich it only occasionally 

 occurs, to at least the 62d (larallel of northern latitude, in tlie interior. 



liichardson states that this Pigeon arrives in the fur countries in tlie lat- 

 ter part of May and leaves in October. ( )n the coast of Hudson's IJay it 

 reaches no fai titer than the ."iSth jiarallel, and only in very tine summers, but 

 in the interior or in liie warmer central districts it attains to the G2d degree. 

 ^Ir. Hutciiins mentions, as a remarkable occuiTence, that a ilock of these 

 Pigeons visited York Factory and remained two days. 



It is not fouiivl on the Pacific coast. Dr. Stickley only met witli a single 

 bird in innnature plumage on a brancli of Milk Uiver, in Xeliraska, about 

 one hundred and seventy-five miles east of the Rocky Mountains ; he thinks 

 the eastern base may be considered tlieir western limit. Dr. Coojier has 

 seen it at Fort Laramie, but lias never seen nor heard of it in Oregon, though 

 Townsend mentions it as found there. 



Dr. Woodiioiise found these Pigeons connnon throughout the Indian Ter- 

 ritory in the spring and fall, during t'vir migrations. 



Captain Blakiston noticed the first arrival of the Passenger Pigeons at 

 Fort Carlton, on the 2;3d of May. Py the ?niddle of June numerous flocks 



vol.. 111. 47 



