596 



U. 8. P. E. E. EXP. AND SUKVETS — ZOOLOGY — GENERAL REPORT, 



Sub-Family COLUMBINAE. 



Tarsi stout, short, with transverse scutellae anteriorly ; feathered for the basal third above, but not at all behind. Toes 

 lengthened, the lateral decidedly longer than the tarsus. Wings lengthened and pointed. Size large. Tail feathers 12. 



This section of doves embraces the largest North American species, and among them the 

 more arboreal ones. The genera are as follow : 



Oolumba. — Head large ; tail short, broad^ and rounded. 



Oolumba. — Lateral toes equal ; bill rather short, stout. * 



Fatagioenas. — Inner lateral toe the longer ; bill lengthened, compressed. 



EcTOPiSTBS. — Head very small ; tail much lengthened, cuneate. 



Comparative measurements of species. 



COLUMBA, Linnaeus. 



Columba, Linmaeus, Syst. Nat. 1735. Type Columba livia, L. 



The characters of the genus are sufficiently indicated in the preceding paragraph for my 

 present purposes. The two sub-genera represented in the United States are as follows : 



Columba. — Bill stout and rather short ; culmen from the base of the feathers about two-fifths 

 the head. Lateral toes and claws about equal, reaching nearly to the base of the middle claw ; 

 the claws rather long and not much curved. Tail rather short, rounded, or nearly even ; as 

 long as from the carpal joint to the end of secondaries in the closed wing. Second and third 

 quills longest. 



Ashy above. Head and under parts purplish violet. A white half collar on the back of 

 the neck. Tail with a subterminal band of dusky. Feathers on the sides of the neck 



metallic golden green. Bill yellow, the tip black C. fasciata. 



Head and neck chocolate red ; back olive ; remaining portion of body slate blue. Bill 



and lore purple in life ; yellow in the skin. No metallic scales on the neck.. O. flavirostris. 



Fatagioenas.— Bill slender, elongated. Culmen measured from the base of the frontal feathers 



about one-half the head. Inner lateral toe with its claw longer than the outer, and reaching 



