666 



SYSTEM A TIC SYNOPSIS. — COL UMBM — PEBISTEB^. 



Pigeons. Tail long, equal to the wings, euneate, of 12 tapering acujninate feathers, parti- 

 colored. Wing acutely pointed by first 3 primaries, with black spots on the coverts. Bill 

 small, with culmen less than half the head, short gonys, feathered far forward between the rami. 

 Tarsi short, feathered part way down in front, where scuteHate, but pot in one regular row of 

 scales. Lateral toes unequal. Sexes unlike. 

 543. E. migrato'rins. (Lat. migratorim, migratory. Pig. 390.) Passenger Pigeon. Wild 

 Pigeon. Adult $ : Upper parts, including head all around, slaty-blue, bright and pure on head 

 and rump, shaded with olivaceous-gray on the back and wings ; the back and sides of the neck 



glittering with golden 

 and violet iridescence, 

 the wing-coverts with 

 velvety - black spots. 

 Below, from the throat, 

 light piu'plish-chestnut, 

 paler behind and fad- 

 ing into white on the 

 lower belly and oris- 

 sum. Tibiae, sides of 

 body, and lining of 

 wings like upper parts. 

 Quills blackish, with 

 rufous - white edging. 

 Two middle tail-feath- 

 ers blackish ; others 

 fading from pearly - 

 Fig. 390. - Passenger Pigeon. (From Tenney, after Wilson. ) y^-^^:^^^ j^^^ ^j^ite, their 



extreme bases with black and chestnut spots. Bill black ; feet lake red, drying an undefinable 

 color; iris orange; sliin about eye red. Length about 17-00, but very variable, according to 

 development of the tail; extent 33.00-25.00 ; wing 8.00-8.50; tail about the same, the lateral 

 feathers graduated rather more than hetlf its length ; bill 0.75 ; tarsus 1.00 ; middle toe and claw 

 1.25. Adult 9 : Upper parts, wings and tail, as in ^ : below, brownish-gray, fading poste- 

 riorly. Young : Like the 9 , but still duUer; little or no clear slaty except on rump; plumage 

 varied with white orescentic edges of the feathers, especially on the back and wings ; quUls 

 edged about with rufous; most of the lateral tail-feathers gray. " Wanders continually in 

 search of food throughout all parts of N. Am. ; wonderfully abundant at times in particular 

 districts;" chiefly, however, temperate N. Am., East of the R. Mts. We do not have the 

 " millions " that the earlier writers speak of in the Eastern U. S. how •: but I remember one 

 great flight over Washington when I was a boy : the' greatest roosts and flights we now hear 

 of are in the upper Mississippi Valley. Nest in ti:ees and bushes, a slight frail platform of 

 twigs, so open as to leave the egg visible from below. Eggs 1 or 2, equal-ended, 1.45 X 1.05. 



49. Subfamily ZENAIDIN/E: Ground Doves. 



Feet larger than in Colimibinm. Tarsus lengthened to exceed the lateral toes, entirely 



naked and scuteUate in front (scarcely feathered in ScardafeUa). Tail-feathers normally 12, 



larely 14 or more (Zenaidura the only North American Pigeon with more than 12). Seven 



North American genera, each of a single species in this country. 



Analyeis of Genera. 



Tall of 14 feathers . . • Zenaidura 195 



Tail of 12 feathers. 



Outer primary attenuate, bistonry-Iike .... , ... . . Engyptila 194 



