VINAGO. 
93 
brane so conspicuous in the common 
pigeon and its congeners. The leus 
are very sliort and partly clothed with 
feathers below the tarsal joint ; the 
feet are formed expressly for percli- 
ing or grasping; the sole, or that part 
of the foot which rests immediately 
upon the hrauch, being greatly en- 
larged by the extension of the mem- 
brane, giving it a firm base of sup- 
port ; the exterior toe is longer than 
the inner, and the claws are very 
strong, sharp, and semicircular, close- 
ly resembling in form those of the 
woodpecker or other scansorial birds. 
The wings are of mean length, but 
strong and pointed, the second and 
third quill-feathers being nearly equal, 
and the longest in each wing. 
In all the species siihinitted to ex- 
amination, the third quill has the cen- 
tral part of the inner web deeply 
notched, as if a piece had been cut 
out, as represented in the wood-cut 
annexed. This particular character 
is confined to the genus, but many 
other members of the Columbidte 
possess peculiarities as striking in 
the form of the first and other quill- 
feathers, which, as modifications of 
