SENNETT ON BIEDS OF THE RIO GRANDE OF TEXAS. 49 



A considerable naked space about the eye, thence extending in a narrow line to the 

 bill. Size medium or rather small. Body full and stout. Coloration subdued, but 

 hind head and neck iridescent. No metallic spots on wings. 



Type, ^. jamaicensis (L.). 



This genus comprehends a number of species of Middle and South America and the 

 West Indies, one of which, J5. alhifrons, before only known from Mexico, I recently 

 had the pleasure of introducing into our fauna, upon specimens secured by Mr. Sennett, 

 at Hidalgo, Texas. Other species, as recognized by Bonaparte in 18.54, are^. v&rreauxi 

 of New Granada, M. eryihroihorax of Cayenne, and j^. duhusi from the Eio Napo. G. E. 

 Gray, in 1870, records, as additional species of the same immediate group, JE. ruf axilla. 

 JE. brasiliensis, JE. cerviniventris, ^. plumMcejis, JE. cassini, M. riottei, and JS. ochroptera. 



The characters of the genus are drawn up from M. albifrons. The group is closely re- 

 lated to Peristera proper, of which Gray makes it a subgenus. Ic was originally named 

 Leptolila by Swainson in 1837, but the name is preoccupied, having been used in 1831 

 by Lesson, under the form Leptoptilos, for a genus of Storks. Difference of termina- 

 tion may suffice to distinguish any two names when indicating any difference of mean- 

 ing, as in the cases of Picuo and Pica, but can hardly be considered sufficient in this 

 instance, especially as the original form of the word, Leptoptilos, requires to be cor- 

 rected into Leptoptilus or Leptoptila, as has already been done by Strickland and Gloger. 



^chmoptila includes a number of species of " Ground Doves ", related to such forms 

 as Zenaida, Peristera, Oreopelia, «&c., distinguished from the more arboreal Pigeons of 

 the New World by their long naked tarsi. They are of rather small size, stout, full 

 body, small bill, short, rounded broadly, 12-feathered tail, and have the first primary 

 abruptly linear-attenuate at the end for an inch or so. They are of rather plain colors, 

 though the neck h s the iridescence so common in Pigeons, and usually have the lining 

 of the wings chestnut. 



J5CHMOPTILA ALBIFRONS, {Bp.) Coues. — WMte-fronted Pigeon. 



Leptoptila alMfrons, Bp. C. A. ii. 1854, 74. (Mexico; "Cuba". — Lawr. Bull. Nat. Mus. 



n. 4, 1876, 44 (Tehuantepec). Iris orange ; bill black; orbital space bluish; 



feet curutiuo.)— Coues, Bull. Nuttall Club, ii. n. 3, July, 1877, 83 (Hidalgo, 



Texas, May, 1877, G. B. Sennett). 

 Peristera (Leptotila) albifrons, Gray, Handlist, ii. 1870, 242, n. 9380. 



Ch. sp. — ^ brunneo olivacea se^-icea, cervice cupreo-purpurascente, f route albescente ; subtus 

 alhido, lateribus obscurioribus, pectore juguloque subvinaceis, crisso ct mente albis; tectricibus 

 alec inferioribus axillaribusque castaneis ; rectricibus medice dorso concoloribus, coeteris nigres- 

 centibus apicibus albis ; rostro nigro ; pedibus ruberrimis ; spatio orbitdli livido-incarnato. 

 Long. tot. pedalis ; alas semipedalis ; caudce 4 J : rostri f : tarsi 1^-1 J. dig. med. cum ungue 1^.. 

 J , adult: Upper parts brownish-olive, with silky lustre (much as in Coccygus ameri- 

 canus for example). Hind head, nape, and back and sides of neck with coppery pur- 

 plish iridescence. Top of the head of a somewhat bluish or glaucous "bloom", fading 

 to creamy-white on the forehead. Under parts dull white or whitish, more or less. 

 shaded with olive-brown on the sides, deepening on the fore breast and jugulum to pale 

 vinaceous ; belly, crissum, and chin quite purely white. Wing-coverts and inner quills 

 like the back, and without metallic spots ; other larger remiges slaty-blackish, with 

 very narrow pale edging toward the end. All the under wing-coverts and the axillaries 

 bright chestnut. Two middle tail-feathers like the back ; others slaty-black, tipped 

 With white in decreasing amount from the outer part inward, the largest white tips 

 being about half an inch in extent. Bill black. Feet carmine-red. Iris yellow. Bare 

 skin around eye red and livid blue. Length 12-12^ ; extent 19-19^ ; wing 6-6i ; tail 

 4J-4^ ; bill f -f ; tarsus IJ-li, middle toe and claw rather less. 

 Female not seen. — E. C] 



Shortly after obtaining my first specimen of this Dove, I sent a descrip- 

 tion of it to Washington. It was identified, and a portion of the letter 

 Bull. iv. No. 1—4 



