COLUMBIDiE, PIGEONS. GEN. 173, 174, 175. 227 



spots; middle tail feathers like the back, others bluish-black ; feet yellow; 

 bill yellow with dark tip ; diminutive ; 6-6J ; wing 3J, with inner second- 

 aries nearly as long as the primaries; tail 2'1, rounded. Southern U. S., 

 Atlantic to Pacific, but chiefly coastwise ; N. to the Caroliuas, and accident- 

 ally to Washington, D. C ; common. Wils., iv, 15, pi. 46 ; Nutt., i, 635 ; 

 AuD., V, 19, pi. 283; Bo., 600; Coop., 516. Var. palle»xns Bd., Proc. 

 Phila. Acad. 1859, 305; Coop., 517; Cape St. Lucas. . . passeeina. 



^ ■■'■' ata"''^ 173. Genus SCAEDAPELLA Bonaparte. 



"J ' Seal// Dove. General coloration much as in the ground dove, but all the 



l)ody-feathers with sharp dark border producing a scaled appearance ; tail 

 long and cuneate, Avith (14?) narrow acuminate feathers, as in the common 

 dove, broadly tipped with white, except the middle pair; wing shaded as in 

 the ground dove. Small ; 8 ; wing and tail aljout 4. Mexico to U. S. 

 border. Bd., 605; Elliot, pi. 37; Coop., 519. . squamosa var. inca. 



^/ 174. Genus GEOTEYGON Gosse. 



^ TTey West Dove. Above, vinaceous-red with highly iridescent lustre of 

 various tints ; below pale purplish fading to creamy ; an infraocular stripe 

 and the throat white; 11; wing and tail about 6, latter rounded. West 

 Indies and Key West. Columha montana, Aud., v, 14, pi. 282. Nutt., 

 i, 2d ed. 756; Bd., 607 maetinica. 



175. Genus STARNCENAS Bonaparte. 



? t'^ Dlue-lieaded Ground Dove. Crown rich blue bounded by black; a white 

 stripe under the eye meeting its fellow on the chin ; throat black, bordered 

 with white; general color olivaceous-chocolate above, purplish-red below, 

 lighter centrally; 11; wing b^\ tail 4i. West Indies and Florida Keys. 

 A remarkable form, grading towards the gallinaceous birds in structure and 

 habits; bill short; wings and tail very short, former rounded and concave, 

 latter nearly even ; legs very long and stout ; tarsus bare, reticidate ; hind 

 toe not strictly insistent. Aud., v, 23, pi. 284; Nutt., i, 2d ed. 769; 



Bd., 608 CVANOCEPHALA. 



