THE WOOD-PIGEON. 477 



Family COLUMBID^E. 



See characters under order Columbce. 



Key to genera of Family Colttmbidjs . 



Upper part of tarsus covered by feathers, tail shorter . . . Columba 

 Tarsus quite bare, tail longer and often more graduated . . Streptopelia 



Genus COLUMBA L. 



Columba Linnaeus, Syst. Nat., ed. x, i, p. 162 (1758 — Type by subsequent, 

 designation of Vigors 1825, C. cenas). 



Large Pigeons, long wings, tail square or very slightly rounded,, 

 12 rectrices. Tarsus shorter than middle toe with claw, upper part 

 overhung by feathers. About 60 species in all continents, but only 

 3 British. Situation of nests variable. 



Key to species of genus Columba. 



, f Longitudinal white stripe along wing . . . C. palumbus, p. 477" 



\ No white longitudinal stripe on wing 



f Neck and jugulum with metallic gloss in front . C. livia, p. 482. 



2 -{ Metallic gloss on hind-neck and sides, but not on 



(^ jugulum C. oznas, p. 480 



COLUMBA PALUMBUS 



360. Columba palumbus palumbus L— THE WOOD-PIGEON. 



Columba Palumbus Linnaeus, Syst. Nat., ed. x, i, p. 163 (1758 — " Europa. 



Asia." Restricted typical locality : Sweden). 



Columba palumbus Linnaeus, Yarrell, in, p. 1 ; Saunders, p. 479. 



Description. — Adult male and female. Winter and summer. — 

 Whole head, ear-coverts, chin and throat grey-blue ; sides and 

 back of upper -neck metallic -green with purplish reflexions ; followed 

 on lower -neck by zone of metallic -purple, which is divided fronr 

 green on sides of neck by patch of white (feathers often tinged 

 cream subterminally and basal portions of these and metallic 

 feathers brown) ; mantle and scapulars grey-brown (becoming 

 browner in worn plumage) ; back, rump and upper tail-coverts, 

 grey-blue ; whole breast brown -purple (tinged grey when fresh), 

 becoming paler on lower-breast and merging into ashy blue-grey of 

 belly and under tail-coverts ; flanks, axillaries and under wing- 

 . coverts grey-blue ; tail-feathers broadly tipped brown-black, with 

 broad central band of pale grey (paler on outer feathers and whitish 

 from below) and dark grey bases (blackish from below) ; primaries 

 black-brown, outer webs broadly and inner webs narrowly edged 

 white but outer web of outer primary with narrow and dull grey- 

 white edge ; secondaries brown washed grey and outer webs ashy- 

 grey with narrow white edges to outer feathers, innermost grey- 

 brown as mantle ; primary-coverts brown -black very narrowly 

 edged grey-white ; outermost feathers of wing-coverts white,, 

 followed by grey with white outer webs, forming together broadi 



