PIGEONS. 395 



dee. This latter arrangement has been followed in this vol- 

 ume.) 



It is to be remarked that the Pigeons (^ColumbidoB, 

 § 29) show an affinity in several ways to the Maptores, or 

 birds of prey, as well as in structure to the Gallince. 



§ 29. COLUMBID^. Pigeons. 



I. ECTOPISTES. 



A. MiGKATOEius. Wild Pigcon. Passenger Pigeon. 

 In Massachusetts, most common as a migrant.* 



a. Ahout sixteen inches long. Tail-feathers, twelve. $, 

 above, dull blue ; beneath, dull red, paler behind. Sides of 

 the neck, highly metallic. Back, and part of the wings, olive- 

 tinged. Shoulders, black-spotted. Primaries, and long mid- 

 dle tail-feathers, black (or dark) ; the former variously edged. 

 Outer tail-feathers, white or bluish ; their inner webs, black, 

 and chestnut, at the base. Feet, yellow. $ , much duller 

 above, and blue or gray beneath; 



h. The nest, a frail structure of twigs, is built on some 

 branch in the woods. In April or May, according to latitude, 

 one or two eggs are laid. These are elliptical, and pure 

 white, and measure about 1.50 X 1-10 of an inch. 



c. No birds could more appropriately be chosen as 

 emblems of their country than the Wild Pigeons. They 

 occur throughout a large part of North America, and often in 

 such prodigious numbers that single companies have been 

 estimated to contain fifty times as many Pigeons as there are 

 now inhabitants in the United States. They wander almost 

 continually in search of their food, which consists chiefly of 

 grain, seeds, beechnuts, acorns, and berries. They possess 

 great powers of flight, and move with a rapid beating of the 

 wings at the rate of sixty miles an hour or often more. On 

 alighting, they flap the wings violently, as if to break the 



* Since Mr. Minot wrote, the Wild their former haunts, hut in winter con- 

 Pigeons have continued to decrease in siderable numbers still continue to 

 numbers, until at the present time visit Indian Territory, whence in De- 

 only occasional stragglers are seen in cember, 1892, and January, 1893, sev- 

 New England. Throughout the West, eral hundred dozens were sent to the 

 also, they have nearly or quite deserted Boston market. — W. B. 



