[«] 
WHITE CROWNED PIGEON. 
CoLUMBA LEUCOCEPHALA. 
Le Pigeon de Roche de la 
Jamaichje. 
Bai.d-pated Pigeon. 
White-crowned Pigeon. 
Lin. Syst. p. 2 8 1. No. 1 4 . 
Bris. Om. i. p. 137. No. 35. 
Sloan ‘Jam. p. 3 03 . t. 261. f. 2.. 
Gatesb. Car. i. pi. 25. 
Lath. Syn. ii. p. 616. No. 5. 
This subject is considered by the Count de Buffon as a variety of the wild 
Pigeon; it inhabits Jamaica, St. Domingo, and the Bahama Islands: 
they nestle and breed in holes among the rocks, and prove of infinite ser- 
vice to the inhabitants, who take vast numbers of them for food. 
They live on the seeds of the mangrove, and wild coffee ; they likewise 
eat the berries of sweet-wood ; and are bitter or sweet to the taste, according 
to the season of the year, or more properly, according to the food they feed 
on ; for when they meet with plenty of sweet berries they are accounted 
most excellent for the table. 
The plumage of this bird is very delicate : the crown of the head is 
white, from which it takes its name ; the hind neck is a combination of 
green, blue, and copper bronze, as viewed in different directions ; the up- 
per parts are bluish-grey, the under, lighter grey ; the lesser and greater 
quills and tail dusky brown; the bill and legs pale red ; the claws grey. 
Rather larger than the Turtle. 
