44S 



GALLINACEOUS BIRDS. 



and by rather high tarsi. This family comprises a very large 

 number of species spread throughout Central and South America, 

 the isles of the Indian Ocean, and a great part of Africa. 

 The compass of this work will not permit us to examine all : 

 we will merely mention the most remarkable, the Great Crowned 

 Pigeon [Columha coronata, Latham), very common in New Guinea 

 and the Moluccas. The plumage of this bird is of a beautiful 

 grej^sh blue ; its head is ornamented with a pretty plume of 

 straight, long, and tapering feathers ; it is about the size of a 



Fig. 181. — Crowned Goura [l^kaSianii,'! cristatus indicua^ Lutliam). 



Domestic Fowl, and very highly esteemed for the qualities of 

 its flesh ; consequent^ the inhabitants of tbe above islands raise 

 it in their poultry-yards (Fig. 181). 



CoT.OMBES. 



Colombes have slender beaks, long wings, and short tarsi. 

 The principal species arc the Wood Pigeons, Common Domestic 

 Pigeons, Can-iers, Turtle Doves, and Passenger Pigeons : the 

 first three arc indigenous to Europe. 



The Wood Picino^is {Columha (E/ms, Selby), Fig. 182, are the 

 largest species of this family ; their plumage is slaty grev. 



