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THE ZEN AIDA DOVE. 
The Wild Pigeons inhabit a wide and extensive region of North America, on this side of 
the Rocky Mountains. They abound in Hudson’ s Bay, where they remain as late as December, 
and extend their range as far south as the Gulf of Mexico. 
The Band -tailed Pigeon ( Columba fasciata ) is a handsome species, inhabiting the 
Pacific side of the Rocky Mountains. Dr. Newberry met with this bird in numbers, and 
in many places, during his survey, and speaks of it as an attractive bird, about the size and 
with many of the habits of the domestic Pigeon. Its colors are ash above, inclining to 
olivaceous on the back, and a fine bluish cast on the rump. A narrow half-collar of white is 
across the upper part of the neck. Its length is about fifteen inches ; its wings eight inches, 
and tail six. 
The White-headed Pigeon ( Columba leucocepludd) is found in no other locality within 
the United States but Key West, Florida. It is common in the West Indies. It is exceed- 
ingly shy, affecting secluded places. It is a few inches shorter than the preceding. Its 
general color is a dark slate -blue ; the primaries and tail darker ; upper part of the head, 
from the bill to the nape, pure white ; a triangular patch of dark maroon -purple on the 
occiput, and below it a semicircular cape, covering the nape, of metallic brassy -green, each 
feather distinctly bordered externally with velvety-black, producing a scaly appearance. The 
bill is a dark purple ; the end light blue ; iris, white ; legs, deep lake-red. 
There are two kinds of this Pigeon, known as the Baldpate in Jamaica, distinguished as 
the Mountain and the Mangrove Baldpate. They resort to the low mangrove swamps 
along the coast. Large numbers of squabs are taken for the market. The old birds are easily 
domesticated, but have a fondness for emancipation when opportunity offers. 
This is an abundant species in Jamaica and in the small islands on the coast of Honduras, 
but has never been taken on the main laud. They arrive in the southern Keys of Florida about 
the 20th of April. As they approach the land, they skim along the surface of the water, 
flying with great rapidity, in the same manner as the House Pigeon. When near land they 
rise about a hundred yards, flying in circles, as if to survey the country. 
The Red-billed Dove ( Columba erythrind) is a Southwestern species, inhabiting the 
Rio Grande country and Mexico, where it is very abundant, but secluded. Its flight is said to 
be exceedingly rapid. It is one of the handsomest of the race. The head and neck all around, 
breast, and a large patch on the middle and lesser wing-coverts, light chocolate-red, the latter 
deeper and more opake-red ; the middle of the back, scapulars, and tertials, olive ; the rest of 
the body, wings, and tail, very dark slaty-blue ; bill and legs, purple ; eyes, purple. Its length 
is fourteen inches ; wing, eight inches ; tail, five and a half. 
The White-winged Dove (. Melopelia leucopterd) is one species, only, of the genus, 
inhabiting Arizona and Lower California. Its general color is a fine ashy, with an olivaceous 
cast on the upper surface, the middle tail-feathers being decidedly brownish ; occiput has a 
purplish tinge ; a spot of black with steel-blue reflections below the ears ; a large patch of 
white on the wings. The male has faint purplish-golden reflections on the sides of the neck. 
In Jamaica this is a very common species, living in the low country. It is not unfrequently 
kept as a pet, and proves quite easily domesticated. 
The Zen aida Dove (Zenaida amabilis). This Dove is a West Indian species, visiting 
Key West and the other Florida Keys. Audubon found it in considerable numbers at Indian 
Key, where he says it arrives about the middle of April, and remains until October, when it 
returns to the West Indies. In habits this Dove is much like the Ground Doves. It is 
extremely gentle, and so tame as to be approached without exhibiting fear. Its notes are 
much like those of the Carolina Dove, but softer and more tender. It has been propagated in 
England successfully, and as a cage bird becomes quite tame. It is a reddish-olive in color 
generally, variously glossed with gray. Its length is about ten inches. 
