BIRDS. 



ORDER 

 COLUMBINI. 



Rostrum mediocre^ compressum, basi membrand molli et tumidd in- 



structum, ad apicem plus minusve arcuatum. 

 Pedes simplices, tetradactylijissif digitis tribus anticis, uno pos- 



tico : tarsi reticulati. 

 Beak, middle sized, compressed, the base covered with a soft 



and tumid membrane, the tip more or less arcuated. 

 Feet simple, consisting of four divided toes, three in front, and 



one behind : tarsi reticulated. 



COLUMBA. PIGEON. 



Geneiic Character. 



Rostrum mediocre, fere rec- 

 tum, compressiusculum et 

 arcuatum: mandibula su- 

 periore basi membrana 

 molli et tumida, in qua 

 nares sitae sunt. 



Pedes fissi, digitis tribus an- 

 ticis, uno postico. 



Alos aut breves aut mediocres. 



Cauda sequalis aut cuneata. 



BeaTc middle sized, nearly 

 straight, compressed and 

 bent ; the upper mandible 

 with a soft and tumid mem- 

 brane at its base, in which 

 the nostrils are situated. 



Feet divided, with three toes 

 before, and one behind. 



Wings short or middhng. 



Tail equal or wedged. 



v^OLUMBA, auctorum,—i:\\Q Pigeons form a 

 most elegant genus of birds, and are most ex- 

 quisitely figured and described by Temminck in 

 his admirable Histoire Naturelle g^nerale des Fi- 

 V. xr. p. r. 1 



