210 NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 



Order COLUMBjE— The Pigeons. (Page 2.) 



Families. 



(Characters same as those given for the Order) .. Columbidse. (Page 210.) 



Family COLUMBID^.— The P,igeons or Doves. (Page 210.) 



{Nest a flat frail platform of sticks, straws, etc., usually in trees. Eggs 2, plain 

 white or buffy white.) 



Genera. 



a 1 . Tarsus shorter than lateral toes. (Subfamily Columbince.) 



b 1 . Tail much shorter than wing, slightly rounded, the feathers broad and 



rounded, or nearly truncated, at tips Columba. (Page 211.) 



b 1 . Tail nearly as long as wing, graduated, the feathers narrow and pointed at 



tips Ectopistes. (Page 212.) 



a 2 . Tarsus longer than lateral toes. (Subfamily Zenaidince.) 

 b 1 . Front of tarsus covered by transverse scutellse. 

 c 1 . Wing more than 5.00. 



d 1 . Terminal portion of outer quill abruptly narrowed. 



Engyptila. (Page 214.) 

 d?. Terminal portion of outer quill not narrowed. 



e 1 . Outer webs of only second and third quills very slightly sinu- 

 ated (sinuation scarcely perceptible). 

 f l . Tail-feathers 12 ; tail rounded, less than three-fourths as 

 long as wing, the feathers broad and rounded at tips. 

 g 1 . Culmen longer than lateral toes, without claws ; tail 

 nearly three-fourths as long as wing; a white 

 patch covering larger wing-coverts. 



Melopelia. (Page 214.) 

 g 2 . Culmen shorter than lateral toes, without claws ; tail 

 barely more than two-thirds as long as wing ; no 

 white patch on wing-coverts. 



Zenaida. (Page 213.) 

 p. Tail-feathers 14 ; tail graduated, usually more than three- 

 fourths (always more than two-thirds) as long as 

 wing, the feathers more or less narrowed at tips. 



Zenaidura. (Page 212.) 

 e*. Outer webs of second to fifth quills, inclusive, distinctly sinu- 

 ated ; tail less than two-thirds as long as wing. 



Geotrygon. (Page 216.) 



