112 



PASSENGER PIGEON 



the snows are heavy to the north, the winter here more than usually 

 mild, and acorns, &c. abundant* 



The Passenger Pigeon is sixteen inches long, and twenty-four 

 inches in extent; bill black; nostril covered by a high rounding 

 protuberance; eye brilliant fiery orange; orbit, or space surround- 

 ing it, purplish flesh colored skin; head, upper part of the neck, 

 and chin, a fine slate blue, lightest on the chin ; throat, breast and 

 sides, as far as the thighs, a reddish hazel ; lower part of the neck 

 and sides of the same resplendent changeable gold, green and pur- 

 plish crimson, the latter most predominant; the ground color slate; 

 the plumage of this part is of a peculiar structure, ragged at the 

 ends ; belly and vent white ; lower part of the breast fading into a 

 pale vinaceous red; thighs the same; legs and feet lake, seamed 

 with white; back, rump and tail coverts dark slate, spotted on the 

 shoulders with a few scattered marks of black; the scapulars tinged 

 with brown; greater coverts light slate; primaries and secondaries 

 dull black, the former tipt and edged with brownish white; tail 

 long, and greatly cuneiform, all the feathers tapering towards the 

 point, the two middle ones plain deep black, the other five, on 

 each side, hoary white, lightest near the tips, deepening into bluish 

 near the bases, where each is crossed on the inner vane with a 

 broad spot of black, and nearer the root with another of ferrugi- 

 nous; primaries edged with white; bastard wing black. 



The female is about half an inch shorter, and an inch less in 

 extent; breast cinereous brown; upper part of the neck inclining 

 to ash; the spot of changeable gold green and carmine much less, 

 and not so brilliant ; tail coverts brownish slate ; naked orbits 

 slate colored; in all other respects like the male in color, but less 

 vivid, and more tinged with brown ; the eye not so brilliant an 

 orange. In both the tail has only twelve feathers. 



