. OF ORNITHOLOGY 95 



Sub-family c STARNCENADIN-ffi 



Tarsus not feathered and reticulate ; feet large ; tarsus long ; 

 bill short and stubbed ; wings much concaved at shoulder. 



Genus, Starncenas, The Blue-headed Dove. 



The above genera are, at present, almost uniformly stable and without 

 synonyms. Zenaidura was not formerly used exclusively for the Caro- 

 lina Dove. Turtur was formerly used for several of the Doves. Columba 

 was an old generic name for nearly all of the above genera. 



The wings and tail vary so as characters that they can 

 hardly be relied on except for generic distinctions. 



FAMILY XXXIV CRACIDAE THE CURASSOW 



GUAN 



Derivation uncertain. 

 The Texas Guan or Curassow is a bird most curious and in- 

 dividual in its character. The single species recognized at 

 present is made the type of a genus and a family, as well as of 

 a sub-ordek, among the North American birds. Its position 

 is, however, somewhat uncertain — being placed in the Order 

 Columba by some writers, and in Gallin^e by others* 

 The student should be careful not to fall into the error, on this 

 account, of regarding it as a " link " between these two orders 

 as it has no such relation and could therefore occupy no such 

 supposable place. The curiously " naked narrow streaks," — 

 Baird [Gray) — of the throat (wattles absent); the naked 

 tarsus (scutellate), and short hind toe; the slender bill; the 

 crested head ; the curious shade of olivaceous of its plumage ; 

 and the short wings for the length of the bird [wing 8 J inches 

 and length 23 inches] ; furnish sufficient characters to more 

 than determine the family as well as its present single member. 

 More species may doubtless yet be discovered probably in the 

 South-western part of North America. 



Genus, Ortalis, The Texan Guan or Curassow. 

 (Orialida = also Ortalis). 



