THE PASSENGER PIGEON. 33 



assured me that ever since they began breeding in his aviaries, they have 

 laid only one egg. My noble friend has raised a great number of these 

 birds, and has distributed them freely. It is not therefore very surprising 

 that some which have escaped from confinement have been shot; but that 

 this species should naturally have a claim to be admitted into the British 

 Fauna appears to me very doubtful. The eggs measure one inch five-eighths 

 in length, one inch one-eighth and a half in breadth, and are nearly equally 

 rounded at both ends. 



Coixmea migratoria, Linn. Syst. Nat., vol. i. p. 285. 



Passenger Pigeon, Columba migratoria, Wils. Amer. Orn., vol. i. p. 102- 



Columba migratoria, Bonap. Syn., p. 120. 



Columba (Ectopistes) migratoria, Swains, and Rich. F. Bor. Amer., vol. ii. p. 363. 



Passenger Pigeon, Nutt. Man., vol. i. p. 629. 



Passenger Pigeon, Columba migratoria, Aud. Orn. Biog., vol. i. p. 319; vol. v. p. 551. 



Male, I6i, 25. Female, 15, 23. 



Wanders continually in search of food throughout all parts of North 

 America. Wonderfully abundant at times in particular districts. 



Adult Male. 



Bill straight, of ordinary length, rather slender, broader than deep at the 

 base, with a tumid fleshy covering above, compressed towards the end, rather 

 obtuse; upper mandible slightly declinate at the tip; edges inflected. Head 

 small, neck slender, body rather full. Legs short and strong; tarsus rather 

 rounded, anteriorly scutellate; toes slightly webbed at the base; claws short, 

 depressed, obtuse. 



Plumage blended on the neck and under parts, compact on the back. 

 Wings long, the second quill longest. Tail graduated, of twelve tapering 

 feathers. 



Bill black. Iris bright red. Feet carmine purple, claws blackish. Head 

 above and on the sides light blue. Throat, fore-neck, breast, and sides, light 

 brownish-red, the rest of the under parts white. Lower part of the neck 

 behind, and along the sides, changing to gold, emerald-green, and rich 

 crimson. The general colour of the upper parts is greyish-blue, some of the 

 wing-coverts marked with a black spot. Quills and larger wing-coverts 

 blackish, the primary quills bluish on the outer web, the larger coverts 

 whitish at the tip. The two middle feathers of the tail black, the rest pale 

 blue at the base, becoming white towards the end. 



Adult Female. 



The colours of the female are much duller than those of the male, although 

 their distribution is the same. The breast is light greyish-brown, the upper 



