662 



SYSTEMATIC SYNOPSIS. — C0LUMB2E —PEBISTEB^. 



seems best to draw the line, if one must he drawn, so as to include the Ptefocletes in Columba,. 

 and leave the Cracidce and 3Iegapodida; with Gallitue. The Sand-grouse (better Sand-pigeons), 

 or Pterocletes, represent the inosculation of the two series. They are terrestrial Columbines, 

 modified for a gronse-like life ; the digestive system is fowl-like (cceca several inches long, etc.); 

 but the pterylosis, the sternum and humerus, the cranial and many other characters, are pigeon- 

 like. The only alternative to reference of Pterocletes to the Columbine series is their elevation 

 to independent ordinal rank, as proposed by Huxley. 



The Colmnbee, as above indicated, are intended to be made conformable to Huxley's Periste- 

 romopha; plus Pterocletes. Assuming the imperfectly-known extinct Dodo, Uidus ineptus, to 

 have been a modified Columbine, and con.sidering the Pterocletes to represent a rasorial modi- 

 fication of the Columbine series, the Order Coliiinbce Tnay bo separated into three groups, or 

 suborders, DiDi, Pterocletes, and Perister^, the first two certainly, the last probably, of 

 a single famUy. The Peristerce alone are American. 



9. Suborder PERISTEE^ : True Columbine Birds. 



(Equivalent to the PeristeromorplKB of Huxley ; the Gemitores of Maegillivray, or 

 Columbm proper fif most authors ; the Oyrantes of Bonaparte, plus Diduiiculus ; Coliiinl)cB of 

 Garrod minus Pterocletes ; Pidlastrce of Liljeborg minus Cracidce and Ilegapodidie.) Skull 

 schizognathous, schizorliinal ; basipterygoids prominent ; angle of mandible not produced ; 

 rostrum externally as above said. Sternum doubled-notclied or notched and fenestrate, on 

 each side ; pectoral crest of humerus salient, acute. Carotids two. Syringeal muscles one 

 pair. Coaea coli small or wanting ; gizzard muscular ; crop developed ; gall-bladder generally 

 absent. Fourth glutasal muscle undeveloped ; second pectoral specially inserted ; ambiens 

 normally present, or wanting. Oil-gland nude, small, or wanting. Plumage without after- 

 shafts. Feet insessorial ; hallux normally insistent ; tarsus normally scutellate. Eectrices 

 normally 12 or 14. (Rasorial tendency in more rectrices, hallux up, and tarsus reticulate.) 

 Altrioial ; psilopsedic ; monogamous ; eggs few. One family °l 



Flo. 389. — European Ring Dove (Cb- 

 lumba patumbux). (From DIxoil) 



uate, but is never forked; 



34. Family COLUMBIDJE : Pigeons. 



The family is here taken to be co-extensive with tlie- 

 suborder as defined. With one exception (Starnaenas- 

 cyanocephala) , all our species wdl be immediately recog- 

 nized by tlieir likeness to the familiar inmates of the 

 dove-cot. One seemingly trivial circumstance is so con- 

 stant as to become a good clue to these birds : the frontal 

 feathers do not form autias by extension on either side of 

 the cnlmen, but sweep across the base cif the bill with a 

 strongly convex outline projected on the culmen, thence 

 rapidly retreating to the commissural point. Tlie plumule- 

 less plumage is generally compact, with thickened, spongy 

 rhachis, the inseition of wliicli will seem loose to one who 

 skins a bird of this family. Tlic liead is remarkably 

 small ; the neck moderate ; the body full, especially in the- 

 pectoral region. The wings are strong, generally length- 

 ened and pointed, conferring a rapid, powerful, whistling 

 flight ; the peculiar aerial evolutions that tliese birds are 

 wont to perform have furnished a synonym for the family, 

 Gyrantcs. The tail varies in shape, from square to grad- 

 us a rule there are 12 rectrices, frequently increased to 11, rarely to 



