PERISTEKA. — LEPTOPTILA. 257 



easily distinguished from P. cinerea by the broad white tips to the outer tail-feathers 

 and by the maroon-coloured breast. 



A male brought to us at Calderas, Guatemala, on the 9th of October, 1873, by a 

 hunter, Julian Medio, had the soft parts as follows : — " Iris reddish-orange ; bill black ; 

 tarsi and toes dull red ; claws black." 



Count Salvadori has pointed out that in the Mexican and Guatemalan birds the 

 under wing-coverts are not cinnamon, but black. This we find to be the case, and as 

 there is a gap in the geographical range of the species, it is possible that the Central- 

 American form is distinct from that inhabiting South America ; it must, however, be 

 noted that we have not yet seen a specimen from Costa Rica. 



Subfam. GEOTRYGONIN^. 



The Ground-Pigeons of this subfamily frequent forest-regions, and very much 

 resemble Game-Birds in appearance. The wings are rounded as in the Peristerinse, but 

 not to the same extent, the primaries being decidedly longer than the secondaries ; and 

 they are without metallic spots or bands. The legs are very stout, and the tarsus 

 is of considerable length, differing from that of the ordinary Pigeons and indicating 

 the terrestrial habits of the group. 



The genera which Count Salvadori includes in the Geotrygoninse are nine in number, 

 of which two occur in Central America, viz. Leptoptila and Geotrygon, the former with 

 eleven out of nineteen known species, and the latter with seven out of seventeen : both 

 are, "therefore, largely represented within our limits. Of the others, Hajplopelia is 

 peculiar to Africa, Osculatia to South America, Starnoenas to Cuba and the Florida 

 Keys, and Phlogoenas, Leuoosarcia, Eutrygon, and Otidiphaps to Australia. 



LEPTOPTILA. 



Leptoptila, Swainson, Class. Birds, ii. p. 349 (1837) ; Salvadori, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. xxi. p. 543 

 (1893). 



The members of this genus have the first primary attenuated at the tip, and the tail 

 is more than half the length of the wing (c/. Salvadori, I. c). 



The genus Leptoptila is somewhat largely represented in the Neotropical Eegion, 

 and extends into the Southern United States. About twenty-five species are now 

 recognized, but some of them are based on very slight differential characters. 



1. Leptoptila brachyptera. 



Peristera jamaicensis (part.), G. R. Gray, List Gallinse Brit. Mus. p. 15 (1844)'.. 

 Zenaida amabilis (nee Bp.), M'Call, Pr. Acad. Philad. 1851, p. 230'. 

 Peristera brachyptera, G. R. Gray, List Columbae Brit. Mus. p. 54 (1856) \ 

 Leptoptila brachyptera (part.), Salvad. Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. xxi. p. 545 *. 



BIOL. CENTR.-.\MEE., Aves, Vol. Ill , March 1902, S3 



