566 SYSTEMATIC SYNOPSIS. — COLUMBuE — PEHISTER^. 
Pigeons. Tail long, equal to the wings, ciineate, of 12 tapering acuminate feathers, parti- 
colored. Wing acutely pointed by first 3 primaries, with black spots on the coverts. Bill 
small, with culmen less than half the head, short gonys, feathered far forward between the rami. 
Tarsi short, feathered part way down in front, where scutellate, but not in one regular row of 
scales. Lateral toes unequal. Sexes unlike. 
543. E. migrato'rius. (Lat. migratorius, migratory. Fig. 390.) Passenger Pigeon. Wild 
Pigeon. Adult ^ : Upper parts, including head all around, slaty-blue, bright and pure on head 
and rump, shaded with olivaceous-gray on the back and wings ; the back and sides of the neck 
glittering with golden 
and violet iridescence, 
the wing-coverts with 
velvety - black spots. 
Below, from the throat, 
light purplish-chestnut, 
paler behind and fad- 
ing into white on the 
lower belly and cris- 
sum. Tibiae, sides of 
body, and lining of 
wings like upper parts. 
Quills blackish, witli 
rufous - M^iite edging. 
Two middle tail-feath- 
ers blackish ; others 
fading from pearly - 
Fig. 390. - Passenger Pigeon. (From Ten.iey, after Wilson. ) ^j^^.^l^ .^^^ ^j^j^^^ ^^^.^ 
extreme bases with black and chestnut spots. Bill black ; feet lake red, drying an undefinable 
color; iris orange; skin about eye red. Length about 17-00, but very variable, according to 
development of the tail; extent 23.00-25.00 ; wing 8.00-8.50; tail about the same, the lateral 
feathers graduated rather more than half its length ; bill 0.75 ; tarsus 1.00 ; middle toe and claw 
1.25. Adult 9- Upper parts, wings and tail, as in J' : below, brownish-gray, fading poste- 
riorly. Young : Like the 9 » ^^ut still duller; little or no clear slaty except on rump; plumage 
varied with white crescentic edges of the feathers, especially on the back and wings ; quills 
edged about with rufous; most of the lateral tail-feathers gray. ''Wanders continually in 
search of food throughout all parts of N. Am. ; wonderfully abundant at times in particular 
districts;" chiefly, however, temperate N. Am., East of the K. Mts. We do not have the 
" millions" that the earlier writers speak of in the Eastern U. S. now : but I remember one 
great flight over Washington when I was a boy : the greatest roosts and flights we now hear 
of are in the upper Mississippi Valley. Nest in trees and bushes, a slight frail platform of 
twigs, so open as to leave the egg visible from below. Eggs 1 or 2, equal-ended, 1.45 X 1.05. 
49. Subfamily ZENAIDIN^: Ground Doves. 
Feet larger than in Columbince. Tarsus lengthened to exceed the lateral toes, entirely 
naked and scutellate in front (scarcely feathered in Scardafella) . Tail-feathers normally 12, 
rarely 14 or more (Zenaidura the only North American Pigeon with more than 12). Seven 
North American genera, each of a single species in this country. 
Analysis of Genera. 
Tail of 14 feathers Zenaidura 195 
Tail of 12 feathers. 
Outer primary attenuate, bistoury-like Engyptila 194 
