PASSENGER PIGEON. 327 



CoLUMBA MiGRATORiA, Linn. Syst, Nat. vol. 1. p. 285. — Lath. Ind. Ornith. voL ii. 



p. 612.— CA. Bonaparte, Synops. of Birds of the United States, p. 120. 

 Passenger Pigeon, Columba migbatoria, Lath, Synops. voL iv. p. 661 — Wils. 



Amer. Ornith. vol. v, p. 102. PI. 44. fig. 1. Male. 



Adult Male. Plate LXII. Fig. 1. 



BiU straight, of ordinary length, rather slender, broader than deep at 

 the base, with a tumid fleshy covering above, compressed towards the 

 end, rather obtuse ; upper mandible slightly declinate at the tip ; edges 

 inflected. Head small, neck slender, body rather full. Legs short and 

 strong ; tarsus rather rounded, anteriorly scutellate ; toes slightly webbed 

 at the base ; claws short, depressed, obtuse. 



Plumage blended on the neck and under parts, compact on the back. 

 Wings long, the second quill longest. Tail graduated, of twelve taper- 

 ing feathers. 



BiU black. Iris bright red. Feet carmine purple, claws blackish. 

 Head above and on the sides light blue. Throat, fore-neck, breast, and 

 sides, hght brownish-red, the rest of the under parts white. liOwer part 

 of the neck behind, and along the sides, changing to gold, emerald green, 

 and rich crimson. The general colour of the upper parts is greyish-blue, 

 some of the wing-coverts marked with a black spot. Quills and larger 

 wing-coverts blackish, the primary quills bluish on the outer web, the 

 larger coverts whitish at the tip. The two middle feathers of the tail 

 black, the rest pale blue at the base, becoming white towards the end. 



Length 16^ inches, extent of wings 25 ; bill along the ridge f , along 

 the gap 1^^ ; tarsus 1^, middle toe 1^. 



Adult Female. Plate LXII. Fig. 2. 



The colours of the female are much duller than those of the male, 

 although their distribution is the same. The breast is light greyish- 

 brown, the upper parts pale reddish-brown, tinged with blue. The 

 changeable spot on the neck is of less extent, and the eye of a somewhat 

 duller red, as are the feet. 



Length 15 inches, extent of wings 23 ; bill along the ridge |, along 

 the gap f 



