440 BIRDS — COLUMBID^. 



north of the Ohio Eiver, has heretofore rested solely on Auduhon's account of its range, 

 which has been quoted hy all subsequent writers; and, being essentially a southern 

 species, its capture here, at a time when the Ohio Eiver was frozen over and the ground 

 covered with several inches of snow, seems worthy of remark. I have identified this 

 species here satisfactorily to myself, on two previous occasions, ioth in winter, bat have 

 never seen the ' Turkey Buzzard' ( C. aura) at that season, although it is quite common 

 during the summer." 



The Black Vulture, like the Turkey Buzzard, breeds on or near the 

 ground. The eggs are two in number, yellowish-white or cream-color, 

 blotched with dark reddish-brown. They measure about 3.50 by 2 inche?, 

 and are said to average a pound in weight. 



ORDER COhVMBM. COLUMBmE BIRDS. 



FAMILY COLUMBIDiE. PIGEONS. 



Id addition to ordinal characters, given on page 200, the feathers with thickened, 

 spongy rachis loosely inserted in the skin. Head completely feathered, excepting some- 

 times a circum-orbital space. Tarsi naked or only feathered a little way above. Tail 

 of twelve feathers, or lengthened, cuneate, and of fourteen. 



Genus ECTOPISTES. Swainson. 



Tarsi shorter than lateral toes ; feathered above ; inner toe longer than outer ; tail of 

 12 feathers, very long, cuneate, about equal the wing ; Ist primary longest. 



ECTOPISTBS MACR0EA (L.) CoueS. 



Wild. Ir*igeon. 



Columia migratoria, Wilson, Am. Orn , i, 1808, 102.— Kirtland, Ohio Geolog. Surv., 1838, 



164.— Read, Proc. Phila. Acad. Nat. Sci., vi, 1853, 395. 

 Eetopistes migratoria, Kirtland, Family Vistor, i, 1850, 133. — Whbaton, Ohio Agrio. 



Eep., 1860, 367 ; Eeprint, 1861.— Baird, Brewer and Eidgway, iii, 1874, 373. 

 Ectopistes migratoriua, Wheaton, Food of Birds, etc., Ohio Agric. Rep. for 1874, 571 ; 



Reprint, 1875, 11 — Langdon, Cat. Birds of Gin., 1877, 13. 

 Ectopistes macroura, Langdon, Eeviaed List, Jonrn. Gin. Soc. Nat. Hist., i, 1879, 181 ; 



Eeprint, 15. 



Columia macroura, LiNN.«;u8, Syst. Nat., i, 1758, 164. 



Columia migratoria, LiNNiEUS, Syst, Nat., i, 1760, 285. 



Ectopistes migratoria, Swainson, Zool, Journ., iii, 1827, 355. 



Ectopistes macroura, GouES, Birds N. W., 1874, 766. 



Ectopistes maorura, CouES, Bull, U. S. Geolog. and Geog. Surv,, iv, No, 3, 1878, 628. 



Adult male dull blue above with olivaceous tinge on back, below dull purplish-red, 

 whitening on vent and crissum ; sides of neck golden and ruby ; some wing-coverts 

 black-spotted; quills blackish, with slaty, whitish and rufous edging; middle tail 

 feathers bluish-black, the others white or ashy, the inner webs basally black with chest- 

 nut patch ; bill black ; feet coral-red ; female and young duller and more brownish or 



