BAND-TAILED PIGEON. 231 
which its back and sides are brilliant golden green, the feathers 
being brownish purple at base; the under part of the neck is 
pale vinaceous purplish, this colour becoming paler as it ap- 
proaches the vent, which, together with the inferior tail-coverts, 
is white. The anterior portion of the back, the wing-coverts, 
and scapulars, are brownish ash; the primaries are dark 
brown, edged with whitish on the exterior webs; the lower 
part of the back, the rump, tail-coverts, inferior wing-coverts, 
and sides, are bluish ash, brighter beneath the wings. The 
shafts of the body feathers and tail-coverts are remarkably 
robust, tapering rather suddenly near the tip. The tail, which 
consists of twelve feathers, is slightly rounded at tip, with a 
definite blackish band at two-thirds the length from the base, 
visible on both sides; before this band the colour is bluish 
ash, and behind dirty greyish; the tail is much lighter on 
the inferior surface. 
This species is closely allied to Columba caribea of Gmelin, 
with which Say stated its analogy, and also to Columba 
leucocephala of Linné. In fact, it possesses some characters 
in common with each of these species, such as the band on the 
tail of the former, and an indication of white on the head of 
the latter. This character may induce some naturalists to 
suppose it the young of the lewcocephala ; but by a careful 
compavison all doubt will be removed, and it will be admitted 
to the rank of a distinct species. 
The caribea may readily be distinguished from the present 
species by its superior size, and by being destitute of the 
white band on the neck; by having a reddish bill, tipt with 
yellow, and dark red feet. The lewcocephala, in the adult 
state, has the whole head white above; but as it is destitute 
of this distinction when young, acquiring it gradually as it 
advances in age, other discriminating characters must be 
employed ; the tail is without a band, the bill is red, with 
a white tip, and the feet are red. 
