COLUMBIDZ&. 169 
common consent, have been now applied. The fruit- 
eating pigeons of Africa and India, forming the genus 
Vinago, are easily known by their very thick, hard, and 
strong bill, which is also much compressed : their feet are 
short, and the toes broad, and formed for clasping: they are 
said to live entirely on fruits, and to frequent the deepest 
forests: all the species are from India and Africa. The 
next group, forming our genus Ptilonopus, is, without ex- 
ception, the most beautiful of the whole family. The 
ground colour of the plumage is generally of a deep rich 
green, frequently very glossy ; while the head and wings 
are generally variegated with blue, white, purple &c. 
These belong also to the hot latitudes of the Old World ; 
although they seem, upon the whole, more abundant in 
the Indian and Australian islands. In many respects, 
particularly by their feathered feet, these lovely birds 
resemble the last ; but their bill is much more slender, 
and thus marks the transition to the ordinary pigeons, 
still classed in the genus Columba, and of which the 
wild and domestic species of Britain are good examples. 
The passenger pigeons of America offer some slight 
variation from the European ; butnot sufficient, perhaps, 
to detach them asa genus. The turtle doves (Peristera 
Sw.) are a smaller group in stature, and lead us imme- 
diately to the ground doves of Tropical America (Cha- 
mepelia Sw.): these little birds live in societies, avoid 
woods, scarcely ever perch upon trees, but are constantly 
seen upon the ground, like true Gallinacea. The re- 
maining forms of this family are very superficially un- 
derstood : we can only perceive they all tend towards 
the true rasorial structure; and by their longer legs, 
crests, wattles, &c., show a decided tendency to unite 
the family with some other: the most remarkable of 
these is the crest-crowned pigeon hen (Ptilophyrus Sw.), 
and the most beautiful is the Nicobar pigeon. 
(191.) A few observations on the affinities of the 
gallinaceous family will conclude our survey of this 
order. In the rapid sketch here given, we have judged 
it expedient to omit all speculations on the precise 
