PASSENGER PIGEON. 
11 
inches in extent; bill black; nostril covered by a high rounding 
protuberance; eye brilliant fiery orange; orbit, or space sur- 
rounding it, purplish flesh-coloured skin; head, upper part of the 
neck, and chin, a fine slate blue, lightest on the chin; throat, 
breast and sides, as far as the thighs, a reddish hazel; lower part 
of the neck and sides of the same resplendent changeable gold, 
green and purplish crimson, the latter most predominant; the 
ground colour slate; the plumage of this part is of a peculiar 
structure, ragged at the ends; belly and vent white; lower part 
of the breast fading into a pale vinaceous red; thighs the same, 
legs and feet lake, seamed with white; back, rump and tail-co- 
verts, dark slate, spotted on the shoulders with a few scattered 
marks of black; the scapulars tinged with brown; greater coverts 
light slate; primaries and secondaries dull black, the former tipt 
and edged with brownish white; tail long, and greatly cunei- 
form, all the feathers tapering towards the point, the two mid- 
dle ones plain deep black, the other five, on each side, hoary 
white, lightest near the tips, deepening into bluish near the 
bases, where each is crossed on the inner vane with a broad spot 
of black, and nearer the root with another of ferruginous; pri- 
maries edged with white; bastard wing black. 
The female is about half an inch shorter, and an inch less in 
extent; breast cinereous brown; upper part of the neck inclin- 
ing to ash; the spot of changeable gold green and carmine much 
less, and not so brilliant; tail-coverts brownish slate; naked or- 
bits slate coloured; in all other respects like the male in colour, 
but less vivid, and more tinged with brown; the eye not so 
brilliant an orange. In both, the tail has only twelve feathers. 
