104 
NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 
Family COLUMBID2E. — The Pigeons. 
Char. The basal portion of the bill covered by a soft skin, in which are situated the 
nostrils, overhung by an incumbent fleshy valve, the apical portion hard and convex. 
The hind toe on the same level with the rest ; the anterior toes without membrane at the 
base. Tarsi more or less naked ; covered laterally and behind with hexagonal scales. 
Nest variable, usually on trees, sometimes on ground, generally loosely put together. 
Eggs always white ; usually two in number, rarely three or one. 
Columbinae. Tarsus shorter than the lateral toe ; feathered above. (Page 104.) 
Zenaidinae. Tarsus longer than the lateral toes ; entirely bare of feathers. (Page 
105.) 
Subfamily COLUMBINiE. 
E 
Columba. Head large ; tail short, broad, and rounded. 
Ectopistes. Head very small ; tail much lengthened, cuneate. (Page 105.) 
Genus COLUMBA, Linnahjs. (Page 105.) 
A. Tail with a broad terminal band abruptly lighter in color than the basal 
portion, and with a more or less well-defined blackish band across the middle. 
Nape with metallic reflections. 
a. A narrow nuchal band of white ; the metallic feathers beneath this, with 
their outlines distinct, producing a squamate appearance. 
1. C. fasciata. Blackish band across the middle of the tail narrow, 
and badly defined, and concealed by the coverts ; terminal portion of 
the tail much lighter than the basal part. Bill yellow, tipped with 
black. Legs yellow ; crissum whitish ; hood and anterior lower parts 
ashy vinaceous-purple ; dorsal region ashy. Iris carmine, edged with 
gold. Length, 15.00 ; wing, 8.80 ; tail, 6.10 ; tarsus, 1.13. Hab. Pacific 
Province of the United States, south to Guatemala. {Band-tailed 
Pigeon .) var. faseiata. 
B. Tail of a uniform shade throughout. 
b. A metallic 11 cape ” on the nape, each feather bordered with black, pro- 
ducing a conspicuously squamate appearance ; above this, a broad, trans- 
verse, crescentic patch of dark maroon color. No vinaceous tints on the 
body. 
2. C. leucocephala. Hood white ; metallic cape brassy-green ; throat, 
cheeks, etc., dark plumbeous-slate, like the rest of the plumage. Bill 
yellow only at the tip. Iris white or yellow. Length, 13.50 ; wing,. 
7.70; tail, 5.50; culmen, .66; tarsus, 1.00; middle toe, 1.25 ; outer, .85; 
inner, .83. Hab. Cuba, and south Florida. {White-headed Pigeon.') 
c. No metallic reflections on the nape. 
3. C. flavirostris. Head and neck, all round, lower parts to the anal 
region, and a patch on the lesser wing-coverts, reddish chocolate-purple. 
Rest of plumage slaty-blue, darker on tail and primaries, and more 
olivaceous on the dorsal region. Feathers of the forehead reaching 
forward to the anterior end of the nasal lobe, and wholly covering the 
cere on top. Culmen much arched. Bill and claws yellow in skin ; 
