388 BULLETIN 50, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 



Genus SCARDAFELLA Bonaparte. 

 Scardafella Bonafabte, Compt. Rend., xl, 1855, 24; Consp. Gen. Av.,ii, 1857, 



85. (Type, as fixed by Gray, 1855, Columba squamosa Temwm.ck=Scar- 



dafella ridgwayi Richmond.) 

 Mieropelia a Heine, in Heine and Reichenow, Nom. Mus. Hein. Orn., 1890, 283. 



(New name for Scardafella Bonaparte, on grounds of purism.) 



Very small arboreal or semi-terrestrial pigeons (length about 

 190-225 mm.) with tail as long as or longer than wing, with lateral 

 and middle pairs of rectrices shorter than the intermediate ones 

 (S. inca) or else (S. ridgwayi) with all except the shorter lateral 

 pair approximately equal in length, the rectrices (twelve in num- 

 ber) all relatively narrow and more or less tapering terminally, 

 the plumage with conspicuous crescentic bars of blackish. 



Bill relatively small and slender, the exposed culmen much shorter 

 than tarsus, the middle portion distinctly constricted vertically; 

 frontal feathering with antia about even with or slightly anterior to 

 malar antia, the mental antia extending slightly beyond anterior 

 end of nostril; nasal operculum rather small, moderately tumid. 

 Wing rather short, much rounded, the longest primaries exceeding 

 distal secondaries by a little more than one-fourth the length of 

 wing; second, second and third, or second, third and fourth, pri- 

 maries (from outside) longest, the first (outermost) shorter than 

 fifth (S. inca) or nearly equal to third (S. ridgwayi); outermost 

 primary moderately bowed, the inner web slightly incised subapi- 

 cally. Tail very slightly shorter to decidedly longer than wing, 

 consisting of twelve rectrices, of which the outermost pair are short- 

 est (about four-fifths as long as the longest), the remainder sub- 

 equal or, in S. inca, the middle pair much shorter (about midway 

 in length between the longest and shortest, all the rectrices relatively 

 narrow and more or less tapering toward their narrowly rounded 

 tips. Tarsus longer than middle toe, its extreme upper end feathered 

 in front, the acrotarsium with a single series of very broad trans- 

 verse scutella, the planta tarsi with small, very indistinct, hexagonal 

 scales, its inner side with small short feathers on upper portion 

 (in S. ridgwayi extending downward for half the length of tarsus, 

 or more) ; lateral toes decidedly shorter than middle toe, the inner 

 with claw reaching to or slightly beyond base of middle claw, the 

 outer slightly shorter; hallux shorter than lateral toes, its length, 

 without claw, about equal to length of basal and half, or more, of 

 second phalanx of middle toe. 



° Mupis, small; wt\aa, a dove. (Richmond.) 



